


Of Pirates and Princesses

by wellthizizdeprezzing



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, G!P, High Seas Adventure, Pirate Emma, Pirates AU, Pirating, Princess Regina, Revenge, Romance, g!p Emma, prompt based fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2020-04-08 08:27:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 60,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19103416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellthizizdeprezzing/pseuds/wellthizizdeprezzing
Summary: Fellow Pirate Lily's death prompts Emma on a high seas adventure of revenge that leads to the capturing of princess Regina. What Emma doesn't foresee is Regina capturing her heart in return. Pirate AU. G!P Emma





	1. What Stokes the Fires of Revenge

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Badgirl1311](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Badgirl1311/gifts).



> A/N: Prompt based fic- Emma is a pirate and she kidnaps Regina during a plot of revenge. But during the course of this, they end up falling in love. This is a G!P Emma story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Prompt based fic- Emma is a pirate and she kidnaps Regina during a plot of revenge. But during the course of this, they end up falling in love. This is a G!P Emma story.
> 
> First three chapters will be a bit world building before we get into the crux of the plot.

"Do you have to go?" the busty brunette pouted from the rumpled sheets of the bed, arm reaching out to grab the slender waist of one tall blonde that was currently pulling on her trousers.

"Sorry, love," the blonde chuckled, buckling up her belt and escaping the hold of a pale arm. "But I've got work to attend to. Gotta fix up Miss Garder's fence."

The brunette longingly looked on at the blonde woman's toned stomach and perky breasts before they too were covered up by clothing, a tight top with a corduroy jacket. Not just ten minutes ago she had been sucking on those very breasts. She licked her lips and fluttered her eyes enticingly. "She can wait."

The blonde chuckled, pulling her long blonde strands into a messy ponytail. "Insatiable, are you."

"I can't help it. You make me this way."

"I would love to spend all day with you in bed but unfortunately some of us have to work hard for a living." She ducked down to kiss the brunette on the mouth to soothe the unhappy turn of her lips. "I'll see you around."

The brunette huffed out, finally relenting. "Fine. I'll see you around, Emma."

Emma left the house of her latest bed partner, greeting townsfolk that were walking around to get to their jobs just as the sun had risen.

"Good morning Emma!"

"Hello, Emma!"

They all waved at her, or offered her smiles. The women's were more coy than the men's. Emma had a habit of sleeping with many women- with being able to seduce them easily, though she made it a fact she never slept with married women because she didn't need a pitchfork mob coming after her head. She liked her quiet life in this inland town. She had settled down here about ten years ago and made something of herself. She finally had a proper house to rest in, a proper reputation in town. Everyone knew they could count on her to help them with any of their needs. A fence that needed repairing, a lost pig that needed to be found, a squabble that had to be settled with fists- she could do anything and everything for the right fee.

She hadn't always lived this way but with Henry in her life now, she needed to have a steady life for him, especially if his other parent didn't want to make that sacrifice for him. Emma would be the one to do it, to raise him proper. To make sure he didn't have to turn to crime like they had. To make sure he wouldn't have to suffer the deaths of those he knew all too well.

"Get your news! Get your daily news here!" shouted out a young boy on the street corner and Emma handed him a nickel for the paper. She took it to peruse and continued upon her walk to Garder's house when she froze in her journey, eyes going wide, breath rattling in her chest like something broken, and stomach plummeting to her feet.

**Naval Commander Graham Finally Hangs the Dreaded Pirate Light Footed Lily! Merchants Rejoice, the Seas are now Safe Again!**

_After a long, harrowing chase and naval battle, Commander Graham, he who works for the highest crown of our esteemed Queen Cora, was able to capture all of Light Footed Lily's crew along with the notorious Lily herself. In a trial last Tuesday morning, Lily confessed to her crimes of pillage, murder, pirating, and contempt towards the crown. And on the behest of Queen Cora, Lily was hung by the neck until dead._

Emma has to lean against a lamp post in order to stop the world from spinning around her. She can't believe it.

Lily is dead.

_Dead._

Emma absentmindedly stumbles back home, devastated and job forgotten. She and Lily might not have ended things on the right foot but there was too much history between them for Emma to brush over this information like it was nothing. She sits down heavily and stares at the paper, blank eyed as she tries to cope with this. As her brain whirls with how to remedy this. She sits there for a good four hours, never moving once, only breathing and blinking and thinking.

Henry wakes up and finds Emma sitting at their table, the newspaper in front of her, eyes glued to the picture of Lily hanging. "Ma what's wrong?" he's only ten but intuitive enough far beyond his age.

She sighs out heavily, her good mood from this morning entirely destroyed. She hasn't shed a single tear for Lily and she refuses to do so. She will not let those bastards responsible for her death make her suffer like this. In fact, she will make them suffer. She will avenge Lily's death. It is the way of their kind. A way she had long thrown away, sworn off, but not for this. This warrants retaliation, warrants her going back down that path.

"Sit down Henry, there is something I must tell you." Her tone is grave.

Henry did as asked, sliding out the wooden chair with a scrap and sitting across from his mother. He waited patiently for her to gather herself. She rubbed her face and raked a hand through her hair.

"I do not even know where to begin," she admitted in a frustrated sigh. "There is so much I have not told you Henry because I wanted to protect you. But I suppose the time has come I can no longer hide things from you. You are ten this year. Aye, you are mature enough for it, for lord knows you are certainly older than the ten years that marker your body."

"Whatever it is Ma, I will not hate you for it," he said solemnly, noting the serious nature of this conversation about to incur.

"Do not say that for you may change your opinion yet," she breathed out and clearing her throat, began.

"When I was younger, Henry, I did not always have this job. I did not always live in this town. I had no set home, and was not guided by any morals or laws except the ones I put on myself, except the ones my kind roughly had. I was a pirate, Henry."

She waited for his reaction here but he only looked on at her, eager to know more.

She continued on. "I was...I was a pretty fearsome pirate. I robbed many towns, destroyed many naval and rival ships and I hurt people. I am not proud of what I did, but I did what I had to to feed myself and my crew. I had no parents growing up and so I lived on the streets. They taught me how to survive. When I was old enough I signed up to be a cabin boy. This way I grew used to thriving on ships. I learned everything I could about them- and then one day I was kidnapped by some pirates when our ship was over run.

"The pirate who captured me was an old grizzled man by the name of Long John. He took me under his wing and taught me the ways of pirating. He was like the father figure I never had. He inspired in me a hatred for the crown for he was once a victim of it. Queen Cora had done horrible things to his family so he turned to terrorizing the seas in order to pay her back for that. When he passed away due to a bullet wound, he handed down the ship and crew to me and I took to carrying on his legacy for him before my own legacy on the seas arose. I had many who feared and respected me.

"Along those journey's I meet many friends and villains. One such person that I came across was Lily. Do you remember aunt Lily?"

Henry nodded his head yes. He recalled when he was a bit younger a woman with striking blue eyes and raven dark hair and who smelled of the sea come to visit him. He called her auntie.

"Yes, well Aunt Lily was a fellow pirate like me."

"She was? That is amazing!" Henry cheered. When Emma scowled at that, he added. "Ma, I don't care about your past-"

"But you should, Henry. I hurt a lot of people during my days of pirating."

"Still, you were some mighty pirate. Pirates are cool-and I know they do some terrible things but you're my Ma and I know you would never truly do terrible things if you could avoid them." Living in this day and age it was unavoidable hearing about some pirate or another that had wronged the crown or committed some sort of crime. There were those who reviled the pirates and those who admired them. Henry was one of the admirers. He found them brave and longed to go like them and adventure all around the world. He had a romanticized view of them. He didn't so much like the killing and stealing they did- but he did want to take a ship and be able to sail anywhere he wanted. To see the discoveries and treasures of foreign worlds.

He imagined his Ma had seen many amazing things that he could only read about in novels.

Emma nodded her head. She had to partially agree to that. She never killed directly if she could avoid it. Unlike those other pirates, she had scruples. "Anyways, Lily and I met on the seas, as enemies first off. But as time went on and we kept getting in each other's paths, we became friends."

Emma can still recall all those heated fights between their ships, the smell of powder and the boom of canons in the air as pirates swung on ropes to board the others ship.

Or the fights where they were sword to neck and gun to throat. The tension that arose between them, that tension that translated to something else entirely later. They eventually found out they could work better together than they could apart and so they began raiding naval ships together and over the course of that a heated relationship arose.

They fought almost as often as they made love and then one night everything had changed between them.

"Swan, I'm carrying your child," Lily had said.

Those words filled Emma with immense pride and happiness. To hear that she was having a child- sure, she had not planned for one or even considered having one, but now that it had happened, she was ready, ready to hold a tiny babe in her arms and cuddle it to sleep.

"We need to give our child a future. We need to quit pirating," Emma said in pure excitement, ready to settle down with Lily and start a whole life with her in a house in some small quaint town. There would mornings waking up together and dinners at the same table. For once they could be together longer than a few days at a time before long stretches of not seeing each other, vaster than any sea, could break them apart.

"No." Lily got up from the bed they had just spent a delectable evening on. She began to pull on her clothes, back to Emma. "I will not give up this way of life." Those words shut down Emma's joy harshly.

"But...you are with child. And it's dangerous." Emma got up, trying to appeal with Lily as she wrapped a sheet around her nether regions. "Is that not the right thing to do?"

"I will carry the child to term, Emma, but I will not settle down for it," Lily said as she turned around to face Emma now, a shirt and pants on her, covering up the skin Emma had taken to marking possessively with her teeth and lips, thinking Lily was her's to have. It had only been an illusion. "The sea is a demanding mistress and she has my heart and soul and body. There is no way I can dare part from her." Lily cupped Emma's cheek in her hand, voice gentle and trying to get Emma to understand her.

"More so than me?" Emma asked and she hated how her voice wavered. She was the one who broke hearts, not had her own heart broken.

When Lily didn't say anything for a long time, Emma swallowed harshly and turned to get her things. She needed to be alone right now.

"Emma..." Lily sighed out as if Emma was being the unreasonable one. "You have to understand. I...the sea and I are one. And it does not hold-"

"I understand perfectly, Lily. Just take care of yourself while you are with child and when they are born, write me a message and I shall sell my ship and give up my pirating ways so I can raise it. I will not let it be abandoned or given over to some orphanage." Her voice was hard steel, hard enough to cut. Lily winced at the indifference Emma was treating her with.

Emma knew all too well how it was to be abandoned and she would not do that to a child of hers. She would take care of them. Give them a stable home, a proper youth, even if Lily could not be there.

Momentarily lost in her memories, Emma had to pull herself out so she could finish telling Henry the truth. "Henry, you're aunt Lily wasn't your aunt. She was...she was your other mother."

This time her words had an impact on Henry. His face scrunched up in deep thought. "My other mother? But I thought only a man and woman could have children."

Emma did not want to get into details with her son, so she tried to brush over the issue. "Well, there was a special bond between us that allowed us to conceive. So we are both your mothers."

Henry pondered over it. He had never expected his missing parent to be a woman. He always imagined it to be some tall handsome man that had been killed off in battle or who had run away when he could not carry the burden of raising a family. With the way Ma sometimes talked down upon Henry's missing parent, it seemed that way.

And in the end it turned out his 'father' was actually his mother. And a pirate of all things. Both of them actually pirates. That explained his love for traveling, for the way he would dream of going to the ocean, and for watching the waves lap away as he watched the horizon dip.

He was shocked by the truth coming to light, but he would process it later; currently his curiosity to know more pushed him to seek more surprising revelations.

"What are you going to do now Ma?" Henry asked, child eyes wide in wonder as his mother stood up.

"I'm going to avenge Lily's death," she vowed, emerald orbs clouded over with anger.

"I don't want you to hurt anyone, or anyone to hurt you," he said, subdued and worried for his mother.

"Don't worry. No one will be harmed if I can help it. And I know how to take care of myself. I shall be fine." Emma didn't have a plan yet but all she knew was she was going to strike Cora where it hurt most. "In the meantime, you'll be staying with Belle." That was their bookworm neighbor. Timid and with her head in the clouds but someone they could trust.

He wrinkled up his nose. "Ma, no. I want to come with you. I do. I want to be out on the seas, adventuring. You know how the water calls to me, and this makes so much sense now. I'm the son of two pirates. The salty sea is in my blood. I have to come with you."

Emma hated to deny her son anything but she would not get him involved in a scheme of revenge. She knelt next to him. "I promise you I will take you another time but not on this quest. The seas be dangerous now." She kissed him on the forehead.

"Ma-"

"No," she got up, sternly shaking a finger at him. "This is not up for debate. Pack your things and get ready to go to Belle's."

"When will you come back?" he asked sullenly, hanging his head.

"I do not know."

"Just promise me you'll be safe."

"Aye," Emma said. "Your other mother may be hanging from the gallows, but I promise I will return." She ruffled up Henry's hair and he opened his arms to hug her to him.

* * *

Emma had to get her old crew together first. She could not do this alone. That much was clear to her. One woman could only do so much in the way of revenge.

Quickly, she packed, throwing everything she would need into a knapsack. She got out an old ornate key and opened up the trunk at the bottom of her bed. Inside she pulled out items she had not touched in over ten years, swearing to herself they would stay there forever, as relics of her checkered past.

Now, it turned out, she would need to use them once more. A small brass spyglass, a compass, a pocket watch, her trusted flintlock pistol along with some powder and iron balls, and at the bottom of it all, her pirate outfit. She took the red jacket out, blowing some dust off of it. It had been a long time since she'd worn this. She wondered if it would still fit her. Rolling that up, she added it to the bundle in the knapsack, and then loaded the pistol before tucking it into the waistband of her trousers.

Henry was currently asleep. She figured it would be best if she left in the middle of the night, to spare him from having to shed tears at her departure. She would write to him so he wouldn't have to worry over her, and there was enough money saved up that he could comfortably live for the next three decades without her aid if he was cautious with it. And he was a smart boy. He could make ends meet, and he could get a job working if need be.

She dreaded leaving him behind but there was no way she could stand the insult and devastation Lily's death had brought her. The pirate code still reigned in her veins and it demanded reparations to be made. It demanded to make Cora suffer. How, it was not yet known, but Emma would find a way. She would seek her revenge, seek Cora's hurt, and then return back home to her son, able to continue her normal life with him.

Trying to push her worry for her son aside, she stepped out the door and into the inky dark night.

Her first stop was August, her second in command. If she found him, she could find the others. Luckily she knew where he liked to haunt. It wouldn't be too hard to find him. She walked the whole night, her feet taking her out of town and down a long empty winding road. The next town wasn't too far over but it took a while to get there on foot. She didn't want to spend any of her saved up coin unnecessarily if she could avoid it. She'd need every last cent to buy gear and a ship.

By early dawn she had made it, her feet sore and eyes drooping with tiredness. She decided she could take a nap on one of the benches in the public square. She placed her knapsack behind her head and threw an arm over her eyes to block out the rising sun. She slept heavy and woke up to see the square had started to fill up. No one paid her any mind. Wandering and homeless travelers were not an uncommon sight.

Her limbs felt a bit cramped from sleeping on such a hard surface so she got up and stretched, smiling at the pleasant cracks in her bones. It was almost evening now and that meant August would be at the local bar.

Over the years, they had sent the occasional letter to each other to keep updated on what was happening in their lives. After their last major score- robbing a Spanish Galleon of nearly half a crown's money's worth, they split the treasure up before splitting up. Each had a share that would ensure their lives would be comfortable for many decades to come, if spent wisely.

August had taken to spending his on booze, women, and games.

He'd used to do it all over the coastal towns but then decided for a more settled way of life by doing it only in one town. He must be the sole source of revenue for that bar.

Emma picked up her knapsack and went on her way to the bar. It was a nicely decorated thing. Good to see that his money was being put to good use by the owners. Inside it smelled of ale and roasted chicken and it was boisterous even now.

A crowd had gathered around the middle where a man was talking loudly.

"Come and join me. See if you can best me in a one on one match of strength!"

Though it had been years, Emma recognized that voice anywhere.

Though he kept his hair shaven now, down to the skin, his beard was full and luscious and decorated with beads of silver and gold. His outfit too was made of finery, rich purple colors and shiny buckles. Life had treated him well. Emma, though secretly rich as well, liked to dress simple and not flaunt her wealth. She never took joy in robbing others, unless it was warranted.

"To the victor goes the spoils of this chest filled with gold," he challenged, patting the small personal chest he had on the table. "And if they lose, they give me their wives." That drew a few chuckles out of the men, thinking August was joking. He was not.

Emma pushed her way through the crowd, shouldering a few of the eager men aside. "So this is what you do with your spare time, is it August Booth?" she gave him a crooked smile and his own dropped as his face opened in shock.

"Looks like his wife found him and heard of his exploits," one man whispered to another.

"Aye, he's going to get the lard cut out of him for sure for that," was the reply.

August recovered from his shock and smiled jovially at her. "Well well well. I suppose a reunion is in order." He grabbed his chest and addressed the crowd. "Excuse me gentlemen. Perhaps another time. I have business to attend to." He grabbed Emma by the elbow and steered her out, the crowd grumbling at the lack of opportunity on being able to make some money.

"Business my ass. He's gon to enjoy her in his bed."

That comment angered Emma and normally she would have placed the fine tip of her sword against the neck of the man who'd uttered it, but she did not. She had more pressing issues than a low brow man.

August took Emma to his table, a secluded place in the back. "I did not expect to see you. Why the appearance on such short notice? Missed me and couldn't wait for me to come back?" he asked but when she shook her head sternly, his smile dropped. "Bad news?"

"Very bad. You remember Light Foot Lily?"

"How could I not. The two of you had some real sparks in the old days," he raised a hand to the waitress, motioning her to bring them two large kegs of pale ale. He took his and swallowed down a large gulp. He didn't particularly like Lily. She was the one who made Emma break up the pirate band and he had enjoyed pirating with the blonde. She had an unparalleled approach to raiding ships and pillaging towns that others did not.

He had tried to join other crews after he had left hers but it wasn't the same. They were all uncouth, barbarians, and they had no respect for human morals. Emma did. And she did it all with a certain flair that no one else could.

He respected her for it and looked up to her with considerable loyalty. He considered her one of his better friends, if not his best friend.

"Yes, well she is dead," Emma leaned in and slapped the newspaper clipping to the top of the table. August read it over, frowning. He knew of his captain's love for the woman even after they had ended on a sour note. This would not bond well.

"You want revenge," he said evenly and she nodded her head slowly.

"I cannot do it alone. I need you. I need all of the old crew back, for one last adventure."

He sighed. While he cared for Emma's feelings, he had never much cared for Lily. Not after she had broken his captain's heart. Privately, in his soul, he had sworn that if he ever saw the dark haired woman again, he would give her a piece of his mind. But he never ever did after all that ended. "Emma, do you think this a good idea? You have Henry now, and a stable life where you are respected and not feared by countless people. Do you want to give that up? All for Lily?"

"This is more than just Lily. It is about Queen Cora and her damned huntsman of a naval commander, Graham. The two of them have killed too many pirates we have cared about."

"For God's Sake Emma, we're bloody pirates. No one cares about us except  _us_."

"And you think it's alright for us to be killed then? Just because not all of us had the option to have a better life and had to turn to pirating as a means of living?" she slapped a hand onto the table.

"I didn't say it's alright. I said maybe you shouldn't go killing others because of Lily." He knew this statement would get him a lot of flack for and he was right.

"No matter how things ended between us, Lily and I swore to have each others backs-"

"And look how that turned out. She left you to raise your child by yourself. Where was she to help you then?"

"She visited," Emma hurried to explain. "And she cared for him-"

"She just didn't care enough to stay," August said and he could see the way it deflated Emma even after all these years. Emma cared for her no matter how cruel Lily had been to her.

"Lily was still my friend after all that. And I need to avenge her death. I need to hurt Cora for this. Lily wasn't one of the bad ones. She wasn't a scoundrel of a pirate like Hook or Hood. And yet they are still alive and she is not. And it's because the Queen takes corrupted coin. She lets those two bastards loose because they prey on other nations ships and take the haul back to the queen."

This much was true, August knew it, and he looked down into his ale, thinking as Emma continued to speak.

"Think about it- we've lost so many others. I lost my only father figure to her damned navy! I won't lose any more. This needs to stop."

"Emma, what could we possibly do? We are nothing compared to her might."

"That is why I need you," Emma said fervently. "We need to teach the Queen to stop messing with us. We need to strike back at her. It's time we pirates took a stand."

He shook his head, laughing at her. "Have the years of being soft made you  _soft_? This is madness you speak of!"

"No. I've always thought this of the Queen but I was coward enough to not do it before because all I thought I wanted was to simply get away with my heists and not have to worry about anything else. But now I realize I can do so much more. Do you remember Aladdin?"

"Aye. The little thief." August thought back to a young lad with tanned skin, exotic facial features, and dark hair. He had approached them once, asking for their help in taking down the Queen and they had said no and that had been the end of that.

"He told me he was in a resistance group to fight against the Queen and that he needed more people to his cause. People like us pirates that could take back the sea while he and his workers took back the ground until the queen was boxed in and trapped for an attack. He wanted the two groups to work together so we could throw off the Queen's oppression. And don't act like the land lovers don't suffer under her rule too. You know her modus of operandi."

He knew it all too well. He had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing it firsthand when on his travels after the crew broke up, he saw her rip the hearts straight out of a man who could not pay his taxes.

"What if we could do something against her?" Emma poised. She was sick and tired of the Queen, holding no love for her. And Lily's death had been the trigger she needed to act upon it.

"Once again, Swan, you have a son you need to go back to," he pointed out and she shook her head. "And starting a war we can't finish is a guaranteed way to never see him again."

"No one said anything about killing the Queen. I've had a lot of time while walking here to meet you and I've come up with a solution. A way to control the Queen's actions. To perhaps get her to resign her post."

"And how is that?"

Emma leaned back and with effect, said, "We're going to kidnap her daughter."


	2. The Best Laid Plans of Men

_"No one said anything about killing the Queen. I've had a lot of time while walking here to meet you and I've come up with a solution. A way to control the Queen's actions. To perhaps get her to resign her post."_

_"And how is that?"_

_Emma leaned back and with effect, said, "We're going to kidnap her daughter."_

_..._

Emma let that statement hang in the air as August leaned back and scratched at the beard covering his chin.

"So, will you help me?" she asked when the silence drew on, his eyes unfocused as he thought. Her words snapped him back and he smiled crookedly at her.

"Emma, as soon as you opened your mouth I was going to help you, no questions asked. But I'm doing this for you and not for Lily."

She didn't expect him to. She knew he did not like Lily. "That is fine with me. Tell me, how quickly can you join me?"

"Honestly, give me an hour or two and I shall be prepared to join you. I must say, despite the pure madness of what we are going to do, I am excited to be sailing once more with you, captain Swan, the Red Baroness," he smiled and they clanked their tankards together before chugging them down in brief celebration of their reunion.

August was true to his word and within two hours he was all packed up, with his home affairs in order so he could journey with Emma. "Where can we find the others?" she asked as they boarded his horse. He only had the one and they did not want to pay for a new one, for most of their coin would be needed for the ship and for the supplies to go on it.

"Last I heard of, Ruby was gone down by the swamps."

Emma wrinkled her nose up in disgust though August sat in front of her and could not see it. "What would Ruby be doing down in the swamps for?"

"Probably conning her way through men's pockets, knowing her."

"I thought she gave up that way of life?" Emma asked, putting on her hat to stave off the glare of the sun.

"Nay, once a con artist, always a con artist."

"She could be putting her skills of direction to better use," Emma tsked, sucking on her teeth. Ruby Lucas had been their sailing master and she had an impeccable sense of direction. They would never get lost with her no matter what. Even if a storm tossed them up and down and right side up, she could find a way out.

Emma suspected it had something to do with how Ruby had grown up so close to nature. Her and her grandmother lived in the woods in a small hut along with a pack of wolves. The wolves treated the two women like family and once Granny had died, Ruby had moved into the city to try and find some money to keep herself fed. Though she found that hard to do when her English was limited and she sounded more feral than human. But she had made do and Emma had fallen for her trap. It was, in fact, how she and Ruby had met.

Emma had been just starting off with her pirating trade and she'd sailed to Ruby's town to find herself some new crew members, most notably a sailing master for the one she had had, had died of scurvy. August had been on the crew at the time, already so young but her quarter master and essentially second in command.

They had been stumbling drunkenly around after getting some drinks at the local tavern, her and August, and had stumbled across a young woman who laid injured on the street, shivering and moaning. She wore only a red cloak around her shoulders, ragged and torn. Emma, in her kindness, for she hated seeing those without a home, or those who were hurt, had she stooped down to help her, which had been a mistake. A fist had crashed right into her face and another hand snatched her coin purse right off her hip.

"You little vixen!" she had snarled out, covering her bleeding nose and racing after the woman, adrenaline flushing away the alcohol. August had pulled out his gun and followed after her too, but the little thief was quick and she lead them down enough twisted paths and roads that they got lost in an unsavory part of town.

There they were greeted by criminals and thieves who saw the sea finery adorning their bodies and wanted to strip them of it. Emma had then drawn her sword and with her back to August, the two of them held their cutlasses out, grim and determined to come out of this alive.

And they had. There was something to be said for their skill with the blade even while intoxicated, for they walked out of there unscathed while their attackers did not. Ten men lay face down in the dirt in different stages of bleeding or crying or dying. Sadly, they did not find the little girl who had stolen Emma's whole purse and she smarted with injustice at it, for that had been half of their loot for now and no more could be gained unless they raided this town.

Yet, Emma would not give up easily. She had to be here for a while in this town anyways to resupply and to find that damned sailing master and so she took the time on the side to hunt down for this red cloaked girl. She asked townsfolk about her and found out that she did this regularly and that she actually heralded from the woods where she had been raised by wolves.

That had drawn Emma's brow high in intrigue and she had decided to head into the woods all by herself despite countless warnings about the ferocious and big wolves there. She went with naught but a sword by her side.

She hadn't been the brightest back in her early days and she blamed her youth on making her rash and reckless.

She would like to say that she found the wolves, but the wolves found her first. Circling around her, snapping foaming jaws. There were five of them and they were big, almost as big as oxen. What had these wolves been feasting upon to get this big?

She held out her cutlass, not quite fearing for her life because she was cocky in her own abilities. Before a fight could ensure, the red cloaked girl from before had shown up and she made some growling noises that pulled the wolves back. She then appeared closer, peering out from under her cloak up at Emma. Her face was dirty and her eyes looked feral.

"You are the little thief who stole all my money from me," Emma announced. "I want it back."

"You followed me into the woods?" the girl sniffed at Emma, smelling her. She smelled nice. Clean. Well fed. "Are you stupid? Everyone afraid of the woods."

"Not me," Emma said cockily. "I have terrorized more places than most people and I would be fool to back down from some oversized pups."

The girl growled at this. "They are not pups!" It seemed that insulted her.

"I don't much care. I just want my money back," Emma said.

"No. Fight me for it, if you must," the girl snapped out, baring her teeth and clawing her hands.

Emma paused here. This girl didn't seem to have much of a home, given her bedraggled state and her thin body. She looked starved and in need of a warm meal. A proper human meal. And Emma could always use another member on the crew.

"Actually, why don't you join me?" she asked, putting away her sword. The wolves circling the girl relaxed at it being sheathed. "You can work for me and I will feed you and give you money for the work you do." Emma always pitied those without a proper home. She knew their pain all too well from her own plight.

The girl was shocked by this turn of events. "What?"

"You look young." And she did, only about thirteen or fourteen. "And the woods are no place for a child like you."

"I am not a child. And the wolves are my family. My home," the girl said, distrusting.

"If you say so. But how long can you keep living like this? You need an adult to watch over you and with me you'd have a roof over your head. You wouldn't even have to stay long with me, just enough to get you some money and then you can come back here. I won't even be mad."

The girl's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why help me?"

"Because I too didn't have parents and I didn't have anyone looking after me when I could have used it. I won't hurt you, if that is what you're worried about," Emma explained. "Think about it. And let me know your answer. Tomorrow noon I shall wait by the entrance of these woods. Let me know by then."

And Emma strode off the way she came, only getting lost once in the brush, as the girl followed her with her eyes.

Emma kept her word and came to pick the girl up at the entrance of the woods where the poor thing stood, shivering in the cold, her cloak wrapped around her. Her feet were bare and the cloak was clearly one she had outgrown for it only reached to her knees, exposing bruised and scratched skin.

"I'm glad you have made a choice."

"Not decided. Not yet," she said in that guttural voice of hers. "Wolves are my family. All I know."

"That's okay. You can stay with me for a couple of days and decide if you want to come with us before we sail away."

"What kind of work you do?" she asked as she followed Emma tentatively into town.

"I will tell you all about it. But first, we must get you cleaned and dressed. And fed. You must be starving."

The girl nodded her head eagerly and padded after Emma silently. They entered a tavern. "Two meals, meat and potatoes," Emma ordered as the people looked on oddly at Ruby who pulled the hood down over her eyes more, hunching in on her self and hissing under her breath.

"They will not hurt you," Emma assured.

"They hunt me before. Try to hurt me and Granny. Claim we were witches."

"They will not hurt you," Emma emphasized, patting the sword by her side. "Why don't you tell me a bit more about yourself?"

The girl shrugged, still her eyes flickering cautiously. "Why know?"

"I want to get to know you better. And I want to build trust between us. I'll tell you about myself if you tell me first about you," Emma offered just as their food was delivered.

The girl immediately tore into, with greedy fingers and canines ripping into flesh. She made a mess of the thing, but Emma let her eat in peace, while she ate her meal more slowly. Once done, even going so far as to lick the plate, the girl set back with a mighty burp.

"Better?" Emma asked. The girl seemed more at ease now, sated by the full meal, but if she had ears they would be flattened back in wariness.

"Ruby. That is what Granny called me," she answers.

"And where is your Granny?"

"Dead. Died of old age."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't," Ruby growled, not needing sympathy. "It is way of life. Things live. Things die." She picked at the bone, grinding her teeth against it, trying to get the marrow out.

"And how come you and Granny lived in the woods?" Emma asked.

Ruby shrugged. "Granny said humans were bad. And that nature is better. That animals kinder. So we lived in woods ever since I was young babe. She rescued me from bad parents. And Granny and I lived happy in woods with wolves who were friends. But then she got sick and money she had stopped coming in and when she died I had to get money for food so I went to town to find some."

Poor girl. She had lost her only family.

"And you tell me about you now," Ruby demanded.

"I am Emma. And I am a pirate. Have you heard of those?" she asked, wondering what the girl's reaction to this information might be. She spoke in lower tones too, she did not need the people in the tavern finding out about her profession. They might kick her out.

"They sail fancy boats and run people with swords," Ruby grunted out, kicking her feet under the table like a child.

"Some. Not all. I haven't become infamous enough to do that. I just try to take money from the rich."

"You steal? Like me?"

"Yes. But with more people helping me. And more fire and swords," Emma said. "You won't have to do any of that. Not everyone on my crew fights. Some clean. Some feed others, and others just turn the sails."

"I don't know how to do that," Ruby said, looking frustrated. "How can you want me for work?"

"Like I said, you don't really have a steady way of making money. And if you join me, I can give you money and food like this," she pointed to the empty plate, licked clean. "And you'll learn how to work on a boat. Learn real human skills and then you can leave in a year even and go on and find other work to support yourself."

Ruby hummed. "I don't know. I have never left the woods."

"Think about it. And in the meantime, let us pay for these meals and focus on other things." Emma held out her hand expectantly. Ruby stared at it. "What?" she barked out.

"You have the coin purse on you. Pay for the meals."

Ruby tightened her lips. "I thought you were paying."

"I am. It's my money you stole. You don't have to waste anything," Emma chuckled as Ruby found herself caught.

"Fine," the girl huffed out and discreetly reached under her cloak to pull two coins out.

They then left the dinning hall and went upstairs to where hot water could be ordered. Bathing was an interesting ordeal. The girl had no shame of human nudity for other than her cloak, nothing was on her body. And she was thin and pale and as soon as she sat in the water it colored brown. The poor woman who had heated up the bath, had to draw more water up and she did not look happy about it.

"Damned kids can't bother to wash the spuds out from behind their ears and now I's gots to do more work," she grumbled as Emma watched her trudge up and down the stairs with fresh water. Ruby took her time splashing in the water, content to be clean for the first time in a while. Emma let her take her time. It wasn't like she had too many pressing issues to attend to. And even if Ruby decided to not join the crew, Emma at least wanted to make sure she had one good meal and bath today. And some proper clothes.

Ruby looks more respectable once washed. She looked more like a child and not the feral animal she could be mistaken for. Her hair was still shaggy and fell over her eyes and her nails were long but they were trimmed easily, though Ruby would not let anyone touch her hair. Bath done, Emma informed Ruby it was time to get her new clothes and to throw her old cloak away. She seemed reluctant to part with it, given the gnashing of her teeth.

"This is special to me. It's what my Granny made me."

"Alright. Take it easy. I won't throw it out," Emma assured. "You can keep it, but we're still going to find you new clothes for you to wear."

And find them they did. Ruby was picky with her outfits, and wouldn't accept anything that didn't come in the color red, even if it was shades of red that didn't match.

Emma found that a bit adorable and didn't dissuade Ruby from having her fun. She let the girl pick out three new shirts, two pairs of pants and a coat to go over it. The girl looked a bit stiff in her outfits, no doubt not used to wearing so many clothes after years of being nearly naked each day. She tucked her cloak safely into her coat pocket.

"So, do you like your new clothes?" Emma asked.

Ruby nodded her head. "I do. Can I keep them?"

"Of course you can. These are yours until you grow out of them."

That delighted the girl and she happily followed Emma onto the next part of their journey.

Ruby accompanied Emma for most of the days Emma spent in the little town. The girl on occasion would slip away to her wolves and spend time with them, before returning to Emma. The pirate captain wouldn't introduce Ruby to the crew yet- only to her close friends. They were all nice to the orphan girl and spent time teaching her human mannerisms.

Eventually, the time came for Emma to leave and for Ruby to make her choice on whether she would work with Emma or stay behind.

The decision was not a light one, and Ruby was visibly pained over it. "Let me at least say good bye to my wolves before I go."

Emma was surprised but not unpleasantly at the choice. "Why did you choose to come with us?"

"While I love my wolves, I can not survive only by using them. I must learn human," she said and then rushed off to her family. When she came back, the ship was ready to leave dock, and Emma did not bother to introduce her to the crew. Let Ruby navigate that on her own; learn the social callings of humans. And the girl took a while to do so. She felt more comfortable talking only to Emma and her close crew such as August and Neal. But as time went by, she became more at ease with the job and the people associated with it. On board the ship she began to grow into her full potential and though her tasks were small, like passing messages to crew members, helping Leroy in the kitchens or securing some rigging, she did it with vigor. And as time passed it became apparent she was more skilled at another task.

They were lost at sea, the navigator that Emma had hired, mumbling under his breath, cursing everything under the sun as he tried to fix the directional sense that had been corrupted due to running into a storm that sent them spinning around.

"Can't you feel it?" Ruby asked as she stood on the port of the ship, arms out and eyes closed as she inhaled the salty sea breeze coming in on the night waves. "North is that way," she pointed in the direction of it. It was 45 degrees to where they were sailing to.

"Don't be stupid," the sailing master scoffed. "My maps tell me it's this way."

"Your maps are stupid ones. Not me," she scowled. "I know it is this way."

"Captain, tell her to stop meddling in my affairs," he snapped out and Emma walked down from her post to get in between them. "What is happening here?' she asked, hands on hips.

"This little brat thinks to tell me how I do my job."

"Your job is shitty, because you will lead us wrong!" she exclaimed, eyes raging.

Emma turned to Ruby, pulling her aside to speak privately to her. "Ruby why do you think this man is wrong?" she asked gently.

"Because he is stupid. I can sense the north. I just know we are going wrong way." She said this with so much resolution that Emma was blown away.

Emma furrowed her brow. She had heard of people with a great sense of direction, but to  _feel_  north? "What do you mean you  _feel_  it?"

Ruby shrugged. "I just do. Each direction has a different feeling. North is like an old man, snoring loudly. The south is a dainty woman with a girlish giggle that is faint to hear but enticing. West is loud and blustery and it sends chills down my back. And East is soft and soothing, like a lullaby that tugs at my heart strings," Ruby claimed, though she was frustrated in being unable to answer it more concretely.

Emma had never heard of directions sounding a certain way, but for some reason, the oddity of such a claim made her believe Ruby whole heartedly. "Alright. I shall believe you."

She straightened up and cried out loudly. "Follow the girl's directions!"

"You are choosing her word over mine?" blustered the sailing master.

"Yes," was Emma's unapologetic answer. He threw his maps down in anger. And it turned out her hunch had been right to listen to Ruby. The girl lead them correctly without the single use of a map or compass. She was their compass as off as it sounded and when they reached port, Emma kicked the sailing master off and made Ruby the new one.

In this way Ruby became part of their crew permanently. And the girl flourished on the deck of their ship. She turned from a scrawny preteen to a strong, hard headed teenager with a taste for wrestling the men on board. She was strong for her age and it had something to do with her life in the woods. She fought dirty, almost always winning. With food, and hard work, and sun, she grew taller and gained more muscle. Even her language improved and she didn't speak in as many growls and snarls, though that part of her, the inner wolf, would never leave.

Emma would find her sometimes curled up on the sheets like a wolf, and her eating habits never did change. She always ate quickly and ravenously, as if any meal could be the last one, or taken from her.

Life on deck wasn't easy, but she adjusted to it. She did miss land sometimes, and her wolves, given the way she always hungered for shore. Perhaps that was why she could always sense it, because she was so close to the earth, that it bound and called her no matter where she was on the giant blue.

But she never asked to go back. And once the crew had gone apart, Ruby had returned back to her old village for a little while to see her wolves, before she ventured out to find work. And that work, it turned out, had been conning as she once did.

"I suppose old habits die hard," Emma chuckled as her thoughts cleared and she focused on the long winding road before her and August.

"What do you expect? You took her from the woods, and then took her from the sea. Wolves don't do well without packs."

"I was hoping she'd be grown enough to figure her life out on her own by now," Emma sighed. Ruby was...28 years of age now?

"Well, we'll see once we get there. My word could be wrong," August grunted as they rode onto the steadily approaching night.

"Say, will you tell me your plan?" he asked once they had gone an hour without speaking.

"I shall once everyone is together. There is no point in repeating myself."

"I figured you would say that," he smiled.

"Then be patient you old stooge, and ride on for us," Emma teased and they rode on, the horse's clomping hooves the soundtrack to their impending adventure.

* * *

Travel took three whole days through inlands as the swamps were more up to the water. Emma hated mushy lands like that. Either be water or be land, not both. And much disease was bred in such parts. Emma would bet her left leg if Ruby was conning than she would be doing so to sick people, which wasn't right but what could Emma say on that. She had been a bloody pirate for about five years. She had no right to judge people's life choices.

When they finally rode into town, having wrapped shawls around their mouths to cover the stench of death and smoke from the burning fires that consumed diseased bodies, they didn't have a hard time finding Ruby. She wore a nice red cloak upon her shoulders. She never could drop her affinity for such a style. She even kept her old cloak to this day, though she slept with it under her pillows.

She was talking to some men who looked worn and gray. This whole town looked gray, and brown and just tired, except for Ruby who was looking so lively in her colors, and healthy given the rosy nature of her cheeks and the glossy luster of her hair. She looked well taken care of, so what would she want with this town?

They slid off the horse, and tied him up to a pole nearby before slowly approaching Ruby due to their aching limbs.

Ruby didn't need to turn around to know who it was behind her. Her quick ears picked up the footfalls and her keen nose sniffed them out. She turned with a wide smile on her face. "Emma! August!" she jumped into their arms, smothering them with her strong hold. She nuzzled her face into theirs, all the while they laughed in joy at the reunion.

"Ruby, you have grown taller," Emma commented as they pulled away. The brunette was a good five inches taller than her and she had to look up to spot her. "What have you been eating?"

Ruby smiled and gave a playfully wink. "That is a secret. It is good to see you both. What brings you here to find me?" she asked.

"That is less joyous," August said. "But first, tell us what you have been up to before we bare our bad news."

"Let us walk," Ruby offered. "I'm sure if you have been riding for long, your stiff legs could use it." They walked down a quieter path off of main street, Ruby leading the way. How the smell of the town did not bother her with her sharp nose was mysterious. Perhaps she had gotten used to it by now. "You will not believe me when I say this, but I have actually been conning."

"Ah, we guessed as much," August laughed.

"But for good reason. I take from the rich, entice them with my body, those foolish drunk men, and then use the money to help others less fortunate. Like you did, Emma."

"Oh please," Emma shook her head in amusement. "I never did as much good as you did. I was a pirate."

"Yes, but you saved me when I was young and lost and I do that when I can to others in need," Ruby said.

"So, you travel from town to town, after you rob the rich blind?" August said, looking impressed. "My, the lone wolf has grown to be less with teeth and certainly more domestic."

Ruby hit him on the arm, and with her strength it hurt. He gasped and grabbed his hurt flesh. "Do not call me tame. I can still beat you with one arm behind my back," she scowled though in playful jest.

"I hear you," he said, rubbing his hurt flesh.

"I am glad to see you doing well. I gather you are helping these in this town too?"

"Aye. They need some supplies but many are afraid to approach this town for fear of the illness spreading. But with my keen nose I know that what they have is not infectious but something wrought upon by the town water. It could infected and they have drank from it. I sniffed it out," she tapped her nose, "and told them to drink no more from it until the water was safe once more. But already things are looking better. I think my work here is done."

Emma smiled fully at Ruby, glad to see the woman doing good. Proud of her, almost. "May perhaps then I shouldn't ask you to do what I want you to do." It would be wrong to drag Ruby away when she was helping many. But then again, she could help many by embarking on Emma's quest as well...

Ruby tilted her head to the side. "Not tell me what?"

"Lily was hung by the neck until dead. And so has been most of her crew," Emma reported somberly, each time the sense of loss fresh in her chest.

Ruby's eyes widened. "She's dead? But she was so hard to catch. Hence her name. Nary she left a sound as she stole, moving like the wind when she was being chased. How did they..." she shook her head, at a loss of words.

"And that is why I need you. I am getting the old crew back together in order to get revenge. I am going to make Queen Cora pay for her corruption against our kind," Emma vowed. "Will you help me?"

Ruby nodded her head. "Of course I will. There is no question. The crew and our ship was my home for so many years. I have missed our adventures. Many a nights of escape and plundering and drunken revelry. And not to forget the mermaids."

Emma smiled at the memories. Ah, how could she ever forget the mermaids. All so pretty and enthralled by humans but in actuality monsters that wanted to strip the flesh from their bones. They had been lucky to get out alive.

"But how can we revenge ourselves upon such a might?" Ruby phrased.

"We must get a ship and weapons and supplies and then we shall set shall to her kingdom."

"To the Red Kingdom?" Ruby's eyebrows went up as did August's. "Right to her heartland?"

"Aye, for that is only where we can get what we need. And that is the princess."

"You want to steal the princess? Princess Regina?" Ruby gasped. "But she is highly guarded and kept hidden away for her great beauty. Queen Cora would never let us near her."

"Tis true that Regina has been held away to preserve her beauty. But she will be exiting her safe halls for something momentous. And that is her wedding," Emma let a confident smile grace her lips and waited as similar ones filled her friends faces, understanding sparking behind their eyes.

"We are going to crash Princess Regina's wedding," Ruby announced loudly and grandly. The idea excited her. She always was and would be, a wild child.

"And we have a week to get ready for it." Emma announced. They would have to have everything prepared by then.


	3. Ye Old Crew is Once More

_"We are going to crash Princess Regina's wedding," Ruby announced loudly and grandly. The idea excited her. She always was and would be, a wild child._

_"And we have a week to get ready for it." Emma announced. They would have to have everything prepared by then._

…

"Out of all of us, I expected you to be the last one caught and put to jail," a voice chuckled as Sabine picked up her head. She had been sitting in a cell for well over a week now and she had not been fed or given anything to drink except for some bread which she had eaten days ago, and a bowl of water she was rationing. So, she figured she was hallucinating when the figure of her old captain stepped out from the shadows, blonde hair glowing in the moonlight.

"Captain Swan!" she exclaimed, lifting a tired head up, eyes wide. "Blimey! I surely must be losing my mind, though I profess I thought I would last longer than a week."

"You are not losing your mind," Emma whispered, drawing closer and brandishing the keys she had stolen off of the guard. "But gaining it, for I am here to set you free."

Sabine rocked to her feet and grabbed at the bars, already tasting freedom but also curiosity. "Emma, you're really here?" she gasped.

"Shhh," Emma shushed. "We don't want to alert anyone to us being here. August and Ruby are already keeping the rest of the guards entertained, but we don't have much time."

August and Ruby were here too? What was going on, Sabine wondered but knew better than to ask now so she bit her tongue.

The cell swung open and Sabine followed Emma out as they quietly slunk through the shadows and to a back entrance where a horse and carriage rested, one they had no doubt stolen for this. "Get in," Emma urged and Sabine dove in, before Emma took the reins and hit the horse. It neighed loudly and began trotting away. She pulled out a gun with one hand and held it steady as she bellowed out, "Ruby. August!"

Ruby's keen hearing heard it first, and she punched the guy she was holding up by the neck one more time for good measure in the face before dropping him, and leaping down from the roof of the prison building. It was only a two story drop and she rolled softly onto her knees to soften the impact. August was on the ground floor, racing away from two men. August could have easily taken them on, but he didn't want to wound them if avoidable.

"This way," Ruby jerked her head to the thud of hooves and together they ran, the men behind them yelling angrily and waving with their swords as if they could somehow stab the criminals running away from such a distance. Emma pulled the carriage up and Sabine opened the doors to admit them. They dove right in, Emma firing a warning shot over the men's heads so they would drop to the floor to avoid it. And then, door still swinging open as August's legs comically stuck out, Emma rode off.

The carriage left dust behind it, from how quickly it was going. And two pairs of hands, grabbed August by the buttock and pulled him in at last.

Inside, they all started laughing, for it was good to see each other, and it had been a while since they'd done something like this.

"Sabine," Ruby pulled the thin woman into a bone crushing hug. "It's been a while."

"It has indeed," she agreed when they pulled apart. She clasped August's hand in greeting.

"So, care to tell us how you ended up in prison?" August asked, eyes sparkling with adrenaline from their small prison break.

"I happened to piss off more people than I should have in town, is all I will say," she replied, not wanting to relive that particular memory. "But how come all of you are back together again?"

"We will tell you once we reach the inn," Ruby explained. "I think you will be surprised by who else is there."

The ride to the inn was short and once they parked the carriage, they exited it and strode over to the table in the back where as was the norm for Leroy, he was already half plastered and crooning salty sea shanties.

"Sabine!" he rose to his feet to greet her, standing up not making much of difference given his low stature. Still he hugged her around the midwaist and picked her up, giving her a little whirl. "It's been a while, ain't it?"

"I agree, Leroy. I can see you still drink like fish."

"He drinks an ocean's worth of ale each meal, that carouser," grunted Neal, setting down his own tankard and nodding his head in greeting at Sabine. Their parting had been different than others. Love had once fused the union of their lips but they had both gone their own ways and the break up had been less than pleasant for they had wanted differing things from life.

"Neal, well, blow me down. I did not think to see your face so soon," she said as they all settled down together. He had changed. His hair was longer, and his beard was full. And he had added more earrings to the ones in his left ear. They went up and down, glowing faintly in the dim of the tavern.

"Did you miss it?" he asked, cocky, though behind his words lay the fact he truly cared if she thought of him. She did, so she would not lie.

"I did miss it. Miss laying my fist into it," she teased, gladly accepting a tankard from Leroy who had plenty of those to go around it seemed.

"So, why this little reunion?" Leroy asked, his nose red from drink. "Captain has been keeping her lips shut ever since she's picked us up from our sorry states."

"How long have you been here?" Sabine inquired.

"About three days. Neal's been here a bit longer."

"Alright, I suppose I should be getting to explaining why I suddenly showed up in your lives," Emma started, silencing their chatter. They all looked at her expectantly and she sat up straighter.

"I have mentioned that recently Lily was apprehended by Graham and killed, along with her crew. She was a good friend of mine, and I will not let her murder stand. Not when the Queen lets the likes of Hood and Hook float the seven seas."

"Are we going to kill them?" Neal asked.

"No, though I wouldn't be opposed to it if we crossed them on the seas. What we are going to do instead is hit the Queen where it will hurt the most. Cora has been keeping her daughter locked up, claiming that her beauty is the highest treasure the Red kingdom has. And since the princess is now of age, she is to be wed to the highest and most powerful of kings, king Leopold," Emma said, and they all leaned in to listen.

"If I think we're going to be doing what I think we are, then you are mad, Emma Swan," whistled Neal. "We will not only have Queen Cora and her huntsmen on our necks, but also the king!"

Emma smiled. "And would that not make for a thrilling adventure?"

"Like hell it would," Neal smiled back, already ready to pull out his sword and board boats, looking for fights.

"Her wedding will be in three days time by now. August already secured a boat for us with enough supplies to get there. This boat is a Clipper. Small, discrete, and fast, it will get us in and out of the royal channel. We will masquerade ourselves as merchants wishing the princess well with rich goods from the east."

"And where will we get such goods?" Sabine asked.

"They of course won't exist. We'll take some rocks, paint them gold, and then pass them off as rare stones," Emma quickly amended. "Once we gain entry, for surely the queen will want thousands to be there in attendance, we will disperse among the crowds and set everything up. Sabine, you will be in charge of explosives. We have several sets of gunpowder barrels you can places inconspicuously around the ceremony. Setting them off will set off a big enough distraction. While that is occurring, Leroy and Ruby will keep the ship secured to the exit point where we will take the princess." Emma pulled out a rough map of the palace where the wedding would take place. Word had it it would be outside, overlooking the ocean. "August and Neal will impersonate some guards, switch out the shift with those present closest to the princess at her alter, and once Sabine lets the barrels rip, in the fuss, August and Neal will steal the princess away."

"And what will you be doing?" Leroy asked.

"I will be the look out, and I will be sending signals in between the groups. Additionally, if anything goes wrong, my plan is to reveal my true identity, throw myself in front of the masses so that the queen is distracted, while everyone else gets away."

"I don't like the sound of that," Neal growled out. "Don't you have a son, Swan? Why not let one of us take the fall?"

"None of you have a mug this famous," Emma pointed up at her face, confident in her checkered past and how the Queen had wished to capture her but had failed to do so. "The Queen will recognize me more than you, and besides, this was all my idea, you are merely being good pals and crew to help me with it. If all goes wrong, I would not want you to have to throw away your lives."

"You're heart is too big, Emma," August shook his head. "We're pirates. We are in this together. We know our lives will never be easy. But from all of us, you have someone to come home to. So, do not risk your life that easily."

"You will not change my mind," Emma shook her head stubbornly, blonde curls bouncing. "According to the pirate code, things must be done this way. Now, let us celebrate and drink to our hearts content, for the core members are back once more. And then tomorrow, we ride the waves."

Cheers went up as did glasses, and then they were spending the night drinking and reminiscing on pasts and on things to come.

* * *

They rose at first light, hungover but knowing that they had a strict schedule to adhere to. And it felt good being back on the sea. The steady sway of ship, the creaking of wooden boards, the smell of salt hanging tightly, and the way the sun beat down. Emma had missed this. There was some part of her that always would, for the sea was a tempting mistress and she lay claim to the hearts of many.

Emma was no exception.

The rigging was smaller on a Clipper, and it took less effort to man a vessel of this size. Once they had secured the princess, they would need a bigger vessel. One more worthy of being sailed by pirates. Leroy, Neal, August and Sabine all unfurled the sails, tightened the ropes, and followed August's barks of commands. Ruby was their guide as normal, and she and Emma sat in their acquired merchant robes of bright pinks, oranges and yellows, as they painted a bag of rocks gold.

Emma could not keep her smile small. It felt good to be among friends, among family once more, and though she ached and worried for Henry, she knew that he would be alright without her for a little while.

She had not thought her plan through much beyond stealing away Regina, but she knew that the Queen would be furious to have lost her.

When the sun began to set, Leroy brought out some soup he had rationed for them.

"I forgot how strong your soups were," Neal coughed after he had taken his first spoonful.

"And you forget how Leroy uses alcohol instead of water for everything in the kitchen," Sabine added with a chuckle.

"If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it," he grumped, though he knew by now that though they made fun of his food, they would eat it without actual complaint.

"Aye, and remember the drinks he makes? Always a clap of thunder those ones," August added.

"I think he even managed to make the fish drunk once when I spilled some overboard by accident. They were all swimming belly up for days," Sabine added, as they had a hearty chuckle.

Finished with their meal, August rose to his feet, pulling out his trusted cutlass. Emma had given it to him when he was but sixteen. It had been bought with their first real pirating money and he had taken great care of it, polishing it and sharpening it when the need called for it. He had impaled many a bastard on this fine blade. "A spar?" he poised.

"I thought you'd never ask," Emma stood up, excited to spar. It had been ages and she felt her sword arm was a bit rusty. Her own blade was the opposite of August's. Whereas his was with a white blade with silver accents, hers had a black blade and gold trim. It was a set, bought by them to show that they came from the same metal, and that though they might be opposites, they would always have each other's back in a fight.

And they did. Emma had lost track of how many times they had ended up back to back, surrounded by a horde of ruffians, or beasts, or even the navy.

When they both wielded the blades, it was like they were in sync. Like they knew what the other was going to do, like what moves they should make.

They stood facing each other now, circling each other, before Emma was the first to make a move. She always was a bit impulsive. She hated inactivity for it made her skin crawl with unease. He parried it, and then they were off, moves slow growing faster as their bodies remembered the art of sword fighting. Exhilarated smiles grew on their faces as metal clanged on metal and sparks flew off into the air. There's was a long duel for they were almost evenly matched in skills. When one gained the slightest edge, the other would top it. Sadly, there was not much space on the ship, so August's foot eventually got tangled in a coil of rope and he went down, Emma pressing the tip of her blade against the soft of his throat.

"Beg for mercy," she growled, acting.

"Never," he spat, though he had lost. She held out a hand to help him up, the rest of the crew having watched that performance.

"I want next," Neal said, pulling out his own cutlass. "Captain, you should teach me some moves. I have forgotten many of them." He had spent most of his days as a blacksmith and though his muscles had increased and his skill with making weapons had, he had not actually swung a blade in a decade for there was no need when he lived a life of peace.

"Did we not first meet with you at the tip of my blade?" Emma asked as they circled each other.

"Aye, we did."

A hot night twelve years ago, the sound of canons exploding in the air as they ripped the navy ship to shreds. Pirates running amok on the board, laying waste to all those their swords could reach as naval officers fought back. The navy had started this war, firing the first shot at Emma's ship and she would be damned if she would be labeled a yellow belly. So she had turned her ship starport and lined up the canons.

"Give them hell," she told Sabine and indeed hell had been given.

"Fire in the hole!" Sabine shouted out before the canons blasted and the navy must not have been expecting to face off so many canons or such a well armed ship. Their defenses had been stripped away in minutes, as Emma's pirate crew flung themselves on ropes across the sea dividing them and boarded the naval vessel.

Emma had been among them, slashing down officers in blue and kicking and punching those who didn't have any weapons. There were a lot of young men on board. Boys, even, and she ordered her crew to spare them. Especially when she had come across one young boy who had been standing in the middle of all this, watching in interest. Wood splintered around him, men fell to their deaths, and yet he stood there, watching everything with impassive eyes.

Emma had approached the strange boy, sword to his neck. He did not blanch even at that. "Do ye not fear me, lad?" she asked, giving him her most menacing look.

"I came to the seas for adventure and danger. But I think I joined the wrong ship," he grimaced at the naval ship losing so easily. "I want to be a part of your crew."

Emma had to laugh at this because it was so unexpected. "And you honestly expect me to take you on? Why should I? If you turn traitor on your own ship, how can I know you will not turn traitor on mine?"

"I had no choice. If I wanted to leave my lifeless town, it was to be on the navy or to be a merchant. And merchants do not get to carry guns and swords. I want to fight."

"Then why are you not fighting now? Not attacking us?"

"Why would I fight against  _my_  crew?" he gave a crooked and smug grin. Emma liked that. She saw a lot of herself in this kid. "You know, perhaps I shall give you a chance." She jerked her head at sword lying out of a pirate's body. One of her crew. Looked like there would be a new opening. "Take that sword and his clothes and fight for my side."

The boy did not have to be told twice. "Aye aye, captain."

And he would prove valuable to the ship, becoming the boatswain. His loyalty to them, something Emma worried about, was proven over and over until she had nothing to worry about.

Back in the present, Neal and Emma engaged in a little sword play. But it was clear that Emma would win. Neal, while strong from working in a forge, had not raised a blade in a while in attack and so he floundered with keeping her sharp tip away from him. Before he knew it, he was on ass, her sword at his neck.

"You are still a master at swordplay as ever, Swan. How do you do it?"

"I am no master," she chuckled, flattered by his words. She pulled him up, clapping him on his back as he took his spot by his drink. "But I loved to spar with Henry and teach him the art of sword craft."

"Let me try next," Sabine offered. She had had more time to continue her use of sword fighting for during her break from being a pirate she had gone down a criminal route, stealing away from merchants that over charged their customers. And there had been sword fights, and running from bullets, and hiding out from authorities.

She loved the thrill of it, though nothing could match the thrill of a pirate ship in battle. The chaos of men and women running around on deck, brandishing steel and barrels of guns. Screams tearing out of throats as fear, anger, and panic mixed together. And then the canons. The weight of the ball in her hands as she pushed one in. The smell of powder. The boom of the canons as they blasted, and the sweet sound of enemy ship wood splintering. And even better than that was when fire would erupt after the delivery of the canon blast. That was a sight to marvel.

She loved being the gunner. Being responsible for directing where to shoot and when. It made her feel alive like nothing else on this planet did. And to this day she had only ever lost three battles, a record for sure. Each loss, or destruction of a canon had her aching like she had lost a finger. She cared for them, always making sure they were well oiled and well stocked so they could blast away the enemy.

She had been the third one to join Emma's ranks of close crew. August had been the first one, though no one knew the story of how he and the captain met. Whispers said they had met while Emma lived on the streets but who could really know. Sabine, she had been captured by some navy officials. Even at a young age she had a dangerous streak and taste for arson.

Her older sister said she picked up a match as a baby and since then she would try her darnedest to set things on fire.

Fire had a draw to her; for it was so primal and so right. She felt at ease with fire. It was her home when nothing else really was.

And once she hit nine years of age she went around causing town fires and stealing things for the heck of it. By the time she was 20 she had a reputation and a criminal record stretching a mile long while she had a bounty on her head for more than a hundred dollars. And the navy had finally captured her when she thought she could get away with burning down the Queen's statue during a celebration in public. Her luck had run out and she had been taken aboard to see the Queen for treason when Emma's ship had rammed right into the naval one.

Sabine sat huddled in her cell on the ship while sounds of battle dragged on. And at last when everything was quieted down, the door to where she was held was swung open and down swaggered Emma, August behind her.

She was cocky in her victory and held her head up high as she walked down, but when she saw Sabine, she paused. "And who are you?"

"I'm Sabine," Sabine answered reluctantly, unsure what this pirate would do to her. She had heard tales of the terrible things pirates did and she did not want to become a victim. Maybe she could beg for mercy?

"What are you doing here?"

She wet her lips, wondering why the pirate woman cared so much. "I uh, set the Queen's statue on fire and they are taking me to her for treason."

"Well, we can't have a hero like you get killed for such a marvelous thing," Emma chuckled. She drew her sword and for a second Sabine believed that Emma could cut her with it, but she broke the lock instead and the cell opened. "Come, join us. We'll take you and drop you off on port."

"And why should I trust you? You're pirates," Sabine said, more questioning than rude.

"You don't really have to, but we're here to take down navy ships and loot their shit and not to kill those we have no qualms with," Emma said as August nodded his head in agreement.

Sabine decided she might as well trust them. It was either them or certain death at the Queen's court. She followed them out of the cell, and saw on the upper deck that there had been a blood bath. Many officers were dead, other's injured and some roped up. The crew of pirates had found some goods and they dropped them down into a row boat waiting for them in the waters.

It wasn't long that on Sabine's sojourn on the ship she came into contact with canons. Her itch to make something burn had only grown on the ship and when Emma's crew came into yet another battle with a naval ship they used canons. And she was instructed to help out with them. And she found her calling, something she loved even more than fire.

It made her decide to stay on the ship, forgoing returning to land as long as she could destroy other ships with the canons. And Emma had been more than happy to let her stay.

"Ah, I see you've kept your edge," Emma said as Sabine gave her a real run for her money during their play-fight in the present. Emma had to duck and weave but in the end, Sabine left herself too open and Emma placed her sword on Sabine's ribs, stopping the woman there or else Sabine would be run through.

"Good fight, everyone. But we need to practice more before we hit the real seas. No telling when we might have to cut someone," Emma instructed. "For now, hit the bunks. We sleep for tomorrow we shall arrive at our destination. Correct, Ruby?"

Ruby looked out at the sea, silent as she analyzed the distance in her own way. "Yes. Around midday we should be there."

The friends chorused their goodbyes as they headed to find a spot to sleep in. Emma was the last to go to sleep, gazing up at the stars for a long time. Tomorrow, her plan would come to fruition and all would be right with the world once more.

"This is for you Lily, and all the other lives Queen Cora has stolen unrightfully," she whispered into the salty breeze. And then, she turned to sleeping.

And true to Ruby's word, midday arrived with it, along with familiar spirals and stone walls. The Queen's personal channel was crowded with the arrival of guests.

"We are here," Emma announced, craning her neck back at the high walls of the castle that greeted them down their crowded journey of the channel.

"Queen Cora will not see this coming," Ruby smirked as their ship successfully blended in with the others.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I used some pirate lingo in the story. It's definitions are as follows:
> 
> Blimey- Shock or surprise
> 
> Drink like a fish- to drink a lot
> 
> Carouser- reckless or loud person who drinks excessively
> 
> Blow me down- expression of shock
> 
> Clap of thunder- strong alcoholic drink, like a shot


	4. Wedding Crashers

_"We are here," Emma announced, craning her neck back at the high walls of the castle that greeted them down their crowded journey of the channel._

_"Queen Cora will not see this coming," Ruby smirked as their ship successfully blended in with the others._

…

Regina nervously flattened her hands over the front of her white dress.

This was it. The big moment.

_Her_  big day.

And what her mother had been grooming her for.

Regina had had a very secluded life style. Ever since her birth, she had been kept locked up in a special part of the castle, reserved only for her, close family, and trusted servants. She had never really questioned it when she was younger, thinking the world was no bigger than the four corners of a room. And she was content to play with her servants children, and with her toys, and read her many and many books. Her servants were forbade from telling her anything of the outside world but it didn't take long for one to slip up and as she got older she began to long to figure out what lay outside the castle walls.

She had even made several escape attempts but she never was successful. Each time she had been caught and imprisoned inside her room for her disobedience. And mother had been most upset about it. "Why do you hanker for the outside world so? It is a sick and dirty place, no where fit for a beautiful young lady like you," she said, stroking Regina's pale cheeks which had not seen natural light.

Regina was often told she was the most beautiful girl in the world and that she should do all she could to preserve that beauty. Which meant nightly regimes of creams and facial cleansing and being careful not to exercise too much because it could cause her soft skin to bruise too easily. Regina did it without complaint even though she grew tired of it. Why couldn't she be like other girls? Why couldn't she be less beautiful? For her beauty had no meaning if she had to be more careful of life in this way.

Her heart hungered for adventure. For leaving the castle walls and finding some traveling companions and riding away into the sunset on some quest to save villagers from an evil queen. But she could do nothing but sigh wistfully out the window and read books on it. Books on brave heroes saving princesses and fighting mighty foes and beasts. On pirates that sailed the seven seas, plundering villages and taking treasures of which man could only dream of.

She loved each and every one of her books, treating them with the utmost care and not letting anyone dust them but her even though it was servants work to clean the multitude of shelves they rested on. Each tome was expensive, with gilded lettering and thick pages made of animal skin. Some of them had colorful illustrations and others had ornate wording that halfway turned into branches and twigs overhanging text.

Some were her favorites, like the tale of a mermaid who loved a man so strongly that she gave up her voice for him to have a chance to walk the land and convince him to love her. When he did not she turned to foam. Another story was that of a beast who had been turned this way because he had been a rude man. And only a princess's love could save him before his rose dropped it's final petal.

Regina would sit there and imagine that she was either the princess or hero in the story, gone off to make a difference in the world.

The longing was so strong she could taste it, and it depressed her to not be able to indulge in it. She grew quieter. Less mobile. All she would do is sit in her chaise for hours and gaze with rapt wonder at the black and white images in the books. Images of hungry seas, of ferocious beasts, and of dashing heroes taking away trapped princess to a happy ending with true love and marriage. How romantic.

And the illustrations were pretty, especially the one's of the princesses. Depicting them with warm faces, flowing hair, and kind hearts. Regina would let her eyes linger on their visage for a while before examining the other pictures.

She lived for those things vicariously because she could not do so in real life.

And all the while her mother worked on matching her up with a king worthy of her. Regina dreaded that because she did not have any experience with men other than her own father. And when her mother spoke of wifely duties it worried her and frightened her. Would she know what to do? She was so young still, only on her 18th year. Who even would be the man she was marrying? She didn't want to be passed along like a business transaction. She wanted true love. Wanted to feel the sweet yearning for her partner. Wanted to spend all day by their side. But she did not have the luxury of that. Those were only things found in stories.

All she knew was that his name was Leopold and he was the mighty king of the White Kingdom, and looking for a new wife since his old one had died. Marrying him would bring the Red kingdom a powerful ally, much land, and even more money. Mother was pleased with his offer for Regina but Regina was not.

It was nerve wracking, being sent to another place when she had never even stepped foot outside of the castle. But mother said all would be fine, and that the wedding would take place outside because it was time for the kingdom to see Regina's beauty for the first time.

Regina was elated to see the outside world, but not like this. She wanted adventure, but not like this. She didn't want it with some unknown man. She wanted it with someone around her age. But she knew it was the way of royalty to marry older, and to beget as many heirs as possible.

She ran her hands down her front once more, trying to smother the nerves she felt. It did little to help.

"Princess, do not worry," her hand maiden urged her. It was Rosalee, one of her closet friends. They had grown up side by side and though the blonde was older, she treated Regina fairly. There had come a point in time when Regina had been so infatuated with the older girl and she could not understand it. So, she had merely chalked it up to the whims of a 14 year old's heart and not acted upon the confusing emotions inside her. Though, from time to time, that similar swell of affection burst within her.

This was not one of those times. All she could feel was dread and fear at her upcoming wedding, Rosalee's presence not even enough to soothe it. "I cannot stop worrying. I have never met the man, and I have no clue if he is kind, or if he is mean. What does he even look like?"

Rosalee gave her a look of sympathy. "You shall find out shortly. But do not worry for your mother would not pick a terrible man for you. Have faith that all shall be well."

Regina nodded her head, feeling a little bit soothed. "I shall try my best."

Rosalee squeezed her hands and then it was time to go.

The ceremony felt a bit behind a haze for Regina, because all she could think on was not making a fool of herself. And she could not stop worrying on what the kingdom would think of her. They had never seen her before. Would they hate her? Love her? What did her people even look like?

As the doors to the outdoors finally opened up, she was assailed by a lot of sun. She blinked rapidly to adjust her eyes and then she was stepping out into the outside world for the first time in her young life.

Guards were lined up, backs straight as they held up trumpets and blew them in announcement of her arriving. A carpet was under her heels and doves were released to flutter over head. She could not resist looking up. The sky was so blue and clear, not a single cloud on it. It was so wondrous, being able to see it finally not behind a glass pane. A breeze tickled her cheek and though she was still on castle grounds, for the wedding was taking place in the back yard, where the castle hung on a cliff over the sea, she had never been here but in her dreams.

And there were crowds of people around her dressed in finery, cheering loudly and whispering to themselves as they finally took their first look at her. She knew in her white dress, with a high collar and stitched with lace and pearls, a long trail following after her, she looked darling as her mother had confirmed and stressed several times. In her hands she held her flower bouquet of the most expensive flowers. Behind her walked two guards, silently keeping pace with her.

She swallowed nervously but kept going, making way for the altar where she could see a man dressed in white.

It was no doubt the king and she let out a heavy sigh. He was old. Older than expected and his figure was less than flattering. She had known not to hope and yet she still had, foolishly for her heart was still young and naive.

Her parents, the King and Queen were standing not far from the altar, smiles on their faces. "We are so proud of you," Henry Sr. said while Cora added, "Do us proud, Regina. This is your defining moment."

Regina nodded her head and pretended this was what she wanted: a probably loveless marriage to her husband.

"You are every bit as wondrous as I had been told," King Leopold said, his eyes raking over her with a hunger that made her shiver unpleasantly. She plastered on a fake smile like mother had instructed into her.

"I do hope so," she replied with demurely.

She took her place in front of him where the priest stood, ready to start the ceremony. He opened the book and began to read in Latin, starting the union.

It was all very long, and Regina wondered when the part of exchanging the vows would occur. Mother had written Regina's vows for her, saying she knew best what would work best for this occasion and Regina had complied and memorized them though she did not agree with them.

Finally, they arrived at the part when their holy union would be joined and Leopold would be the first to make his speech. But before he could so much as open his mouth, an explosion sounded off, startling everyone with how close it was.

And then another one went off. And another one.

"What the hell is going on?" Leopold roared out as guests began to disperse to avoid getting hurt. They stampeded in towards the castle doors which had swung open.

"Princess, quickly, this way," a voice instructed her and she felt a pair of strong hands grab her. They belonged to one of her guards and she let him direct her away from the chaos, another one of the guards coming in front of her and knocking people out of the way with his sword.

She could hear her mother and father's plaintive cries, worrying about her. Their own guards were surrounding them, swords drawn and ready for a fight.

"We must have intruders at the wedding," Henry Sr. shouted out. "Show yourself you cowards!" he pulled out his own sword.

"I shall help catch the fiends," snarled Leopold. "How dare they ruin my special day!"

"What is going on?" Regina wondered, scared. Who were these people trying to hurt her?

"Don't worry, we will keep you safe," the guard holding her said. "We think someone may be after you, and so we need to take you somewhere they won't think to look for you."

"Where?" Regina asked as she got turned around in the chaos. Her and the guards were not making way to the castle but to a corner around it, to a path that lead to the royal channel where accepted ships were stationed and waiting to be used. Some guests were already on them, trying to get away.

"Focus more on running princess. We do not know where the enemy could be. They could be anywhere," he answered and Regina kept her mouth shut, following after them. Over here it was less crowded and they were able to make way without much fuss.

Once they had gotten down where the docks where, the merchant ships bobbing in the water, Regina was lifted up under the arms by the guard in front of her and placed onto the ship gently. "Quickly," urged the one who had been waving the sword to bar others away. "We don't have much time. Is everyone on and ready to go?"

"Aye," confirmed a man with a pot belly and who was short in stature. He was freeing the ship, while two others ran to ready the sails to pull the ship out.

"What- why am I on a ship? Are the King and Queen also leaving by ship?" Regina asked, her heart racing in her chest. Her wedding day had quickly turned upside down. It had been unexpected.

"They will be safe. The rest of the guards shall make certain of. You just worry about yourself for now." She was assured this by a dark skinned woman.

"Here, sit down," one of Regina's guards patted the board and she sat down, dirtying her dress the least on her mind. The ship pulled away and she looked back at the castle, which towered over them. Smoke was curling up from areas and she wondered if a fire was spreading. Loud shouts came from above there and she hoped that whoever had done this would be caught and punished.

Eventually the merchant ship she was on broke out into wider waters and the castle became smaller and smaller with each gust of wind. The ship swayed under her and as her heart calmed down she found that this was the first time she was on a ship. And on water.

It was so amazing! She couldn't stop a wide smile from stretching her lips and turned to look into the water, marveling at what secrets it could hide underneath.

"Why are you smiling princess?" asked the dark skinned woman from before.

"I've never been on a boat before. In fact, I have rarely been allowed to leave my room. This is fascinating. And enthralling." She leaned over the side and dipped her fingers in. The water was cold, colder than she expected it to be.

"Be careful not to fall over," the woman warned, before going over to ensure that if Regina did tip forwards too much, she could catch her.

"Alright princess, we should be safer by now," explained one of the guards.

"And when can I return?" she asked, turning wide innocent eyes on him.

He chuckled, not kindly. "Well, not for a while."

"What do you mean? I have a ceremony to conclude." As much as the idea gave her dread, she wanted to please her mother. It was all she ever knew to do. All her life had ever been.

"It's not safe," spoke up the other guard. "So, we will be taking you somewhere else until it is safe to come back home."

Regina nodded her head. She was worried, but she trusted her guards to do the right thing. "I suppose that is fair. I only hope my parents shall be well."

"I think they'll be fine," the woman answered, smirking as she shared some sort of look with the two guards.

The short man came up to them. "Is everything in order?"

"The princess is unharmed, albeit a bit shaken," answered the woman.

"Good. Captain says we should hit a small town by nightfall and then we can switch ships there. We need better gear if we are to keep the princess safe."

"I thank you greatly for this," Regina said solemnly, wanting to let them know how grateful she was for their quick help.

They all snickered at her words, which only confused her. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, tis only our duty to serve you," one of the guards bowed grandly, only making the others snicker harder. He scowled at them, hitting the rotund man on the back of his head to shut him up. "Cut it out."

"I'm not the only one!" he frowned, rubbing his hurt spot. "But I don't see you smacking August or Sabine either."

That must be the guard with the full beard's name, and the dark skinned woman's name too.

"Could you tell me all of your names?" Regina asked. "I'm afraid I don't really know them."

They all exchanged wordless looks with each other before decided to impart this information. "I am August," said the bearded man, confirming Regina's deductions.

"I am Leroy," said the stout man.

"Though we call him Grumpy, because you will find his demeanor is certainly not happy," added Sabine. Leroy shot her a nasty look. "And I am Sabine."

"I am Neal," answered the guard with a smaller beard and many ear piercings.

"Do you all work for the crown?" Regina asked. "What roles do you do?"

They exchanged another look among themselves.

"Well, I happen to be a cook. From the royal kitchens. We didn't want you to starve so I came along for the journey will be long and we only want you to eat the finest foods."

"And we are the royal guards," August explained, pointing to himself and Neal. "And we were hand picked for our skill to protect you and accompany you on this journey to a safe haven."

"And this is Sabine. She is here to help sail the ship but she is trusted by the crown for her good work ethic," Neal tacked on, making Sabine glow at his praise.

"And surely you shall not forget me," cut in another voice and this time it belonged to a brunette with long legs. "I am Ruby, and I direct this ship. Without me, we would lose our way." She smiled something wolfish. "It is good to finally see you in person, princess. I have heard a lot about your beauty but I can see those rumors were not lies."

Regina flushed at hearing praise from a stranger. "Thank you. Your countenance is a pleasure to look at as well."

Ruby's smile widened. "I am pleased to hear such high praises from royalty."

Another pair of boots thudded up to join them and it belonged to a woman who was in the process of redressing. She was wearing tight slacks, to which a sword hung, and tall black boots to encase her feet. She was doing up the buttons of a white ruffled shirt, revealing the tops of her breasts and smooth collarbone, and her hair was streaming behind her, loose and wild.

It shone in the bright sun and Regina could not stop looking at this woman. She looked exactly like almost every princess in the books Regina had read and admired.

While her attire did not match to what a princess would wear, it worked because it gave her a sense of masculinity that made her only all the more appealing. And her hair, how Regina longed to touch it, to see if it was truly as soft as it seemed.

They looked on at each other as the woman fell in with her boat mates. Her hands stilled for a second on the buttons before resuming and clearing her throat, she gave a little bow of her head. "I am glad to see you safe, princess. You may call me Captain Swan."

"Yes," Regina nodded her head, knowing she hadn't exactly answered anything, and her wide eyed look of astonishment was not lost on the crew who began to chuckle.

"You've enchanted yet another one to lose their tongue," Ruby hollered, elbowing the captain in the ribs. The captain grimaced.

Neal shook his head. "How do you do it so easily?"

Regina was lost on what they were talking about but for some reason it felt like they were laughing at her. She wasn't certain, however, so she didn't say anything. And she was too well mannered to do so either.

"Princess Regina, I hope you enjoy your stay with us. We will do our utmost best to keep you comfortable and safe," Captain Swan swore, flashing a dazzling smile to Regina who could feel her heart pounding faster at it.

"Thank you," she made out.

The Captain left to go back to steering the ship and so did the rest of them until only Ruby was left. And in her hands, unnoticed by Regina before, was a bundle.

"Here, wear this," Ruby offered her a change of clothes. "It would not do well if people were to see you walking around in that dress. You will be easier to spot."

Regina hurried to put them on. The material was not high quality and it itched and scratched at her, but she did it without much complaint, not wanting to be labeled as a spoiled princess.

The garbs she had been given consisted of burgundy pants, a striped shirt that was short at the sleeves, a vest to go over it, and a head wrap to hide her long hair under. Tucking her hair gave her a more boyish look not that she minded. She had dreamed of cutting her hair several times in the past but never had, because mother had forbade her from doing so.

"There you go," Ruby had said when Regina emerged redressed. "No one will recognize you now, princess. And our travels should be smooth and assured."

The rest of the crew Regina had met were busy, leaving her to sit next to Leroy while he peeled some potatoes for stew tomorrow. Regina would have offered to help but she knew nothing on how to prepare food. She had never even touched a knife in her life. She marveled at how quickly he did it before she turned her attentions to the sea, watching the waves lap up the wooden sides of the ship, and how the sky shrunk and extended with distance.

By nightfall they had indeed landed at port and as Regina was lead off the board, she had no idea that she had finally gotten her heart's desire and was about to end up going on the adventure of a life time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Poor naive Regina, not even aware of her own situation.
> 
> Ages, for the story. Emma was 16 when she started pirating professionally. August was 16 as well. Neal was 18, Sabine, 20 and Ruby 12. And Leroy, nobody actually knows how old he is.
> 
> Currently they are:
> 
> Emma: 28
> 
> August: 28
> 
> Neal: 30
> 
> Sabine: 32
> 
> Ruby: 24
> 
> Leroy: ?


	5. Riding the Waves

_By nightfall they had indeed landed at port and as Regina was lead off the board, she had no idea that she had finally gotten her heart's desire and was about to end up going on the adventure of a life time._

_..._

"The princess still does not even know the true extent of her situation," August said once they were on deck of their newly acquired ship. It was large and more cumbersome to maneuver, but it had canons and lower decks where they could store goods and treasures they came across. And most importantly, it held cells where they could lock the princess up if needed. So far, it was turning out not to be needed.

Emma stared straight ahead, steering the ship during the night and right until dawn. The waters were calm, just how she liked it. And now, fully garbed in her pirating attire, she felt like she had been blasted to the past days of her youth. Even her outfit was the same. Black tight trousers, long boots with a flare on top, a swanky belt that held space for her flintlock pistol, cutlass, and a secondary blade of her choosing. A puffy white shirt rested on her upper half as did a vest with her trademark red overcoat on it, glowing as brightly as the crimson life force in their veins. And on her head rested her captain's hat, complete with a skull and bones.

"Then that is good. Her naive nature will render this easier because we won't have to worry about fighting her, or her drawing unnecessary attention to us."

"She even believed my flimsy excuse of why we're dressed as pirates. Because it's 'our cover' and 'no one will think to look for us this way'." He chuckled, leaning against the railing and taking a sip of his rum from a hip flask.

"And I think she fancies you too," he added on and Emma let out a grunt at this. She hadn't missed the way the princess had looked at her upon their first meeting. That wide eyed stare, rapt in wonder and adoration, and the lovely flush on her pale cheeks. No doubt the princess had been locked up and barely seen another soul. Emma knew she was good looking and that many found her enchanting and charming, so it was not much of a shock the princess would think so too. But whether the princess would either get over it or not would remain to be seen.

What had been unexpected was when Emma had found herself captured by the princess's looks herself. The rumors about her beauty had merit and Emma had momentarily forgotten what she was doing. There, in all white, sat an angel of dark. With big dark brown eyes and long brown hair that was plaited down her back, she was lovely. Pink lips and cheeks tinged by pink, and skin unblemished by scars or dirt.

She was pristine, so much so that she almost seemed to glow. And Emma found herself almost wanting to worship the princess, but she did not, regaining her senses a second later and resuming her speech.

But the image of the princess did not escape Emma's mind all night long, even as the princess slumbered below deck on the finest hammock. Emma did not know why this was- or maybe she did. All she knew, was that whenever she had seen a woman she so much as so fancied in the slightest, she went after her. But she could not do that to the princess. No, because she was their ransom. And that made Emma all the more interested in her, in knowing Regina was forbidden to her.

"How could she not?" Emma throws back a cocky answer. "I am probably such a puzzle to her. A woman who commands a ship in this day and age. I'm more woman than she has ever met."

"And more man than she has ever met too," August tipped his brow up as he looked pointedly at Emma's crotch.

Not many knew of her condition. Only her close friends and crew, such as him, Ruby, Sabine, Neal and Leroy. She didn't trust anyone else to know.

The hired crew ran down along the board, fixing up rigging, or chatting and playing games by lamp light. This was the third night of their journey and Regina was adjusting surprisingly well to life on board in the three days they had been at sea. The woman had found her sea legs astoundingly well for someone whose only seen the ocean in books. And she was curious about everything, so much so that Neal had to be assigned to babysit her or else she could unintentionally hurt herself. And he had the joyous task of answering everything she had asked about.

Though she had a bit of a hiccup when it came to Leroy's cooking. The princess was too kind to refuse his food and since she'd never had rum before, she did not know how to act when she ingested it. Sabine pulled out an accordion, Leroy, a guitar and everyone else hooted and hollered along to dancing songs.

Regina's eyes had drooped from the drink infused food, and she had gone all giggly and happy, swirling around on the deck and asking for someone to dance with her. Neal had happily gone up, and then Ruby, and then August, but the princess did not stop until she had danced with Emma.

Sabine, started playing the accordion more slowly and Emma scowled at her, for there was no need for a slow dance with Regina. But the princess did not mind, coming closer to Emma and leaning her head on her shoulder. "You look just like them," she slurred drowsily.

"Like who?" Emma could not help from asking when the princess did not elaborate.

"Like a princess. And a hero. All put into one woman," she sighed out dramatically as her body became heavier in Emma's respectful hold.

Her simple words made Emma feel warm inside though they should not. Emma was a pirate. And she wasn't necessarily a good person, so why should the princess think that? Before she could laugh away the words, Regina stopped dancing and Emma looked down to see the woman had fallen asleep on her feet.

It was adorable. And cute. And Emma swept her up in her arms gently.

"Going somewhere Swan?" Neal wagged his brows and Emma shook her head.

"I'm only taking her to get some rest. The poor thing can't hold her drink," Emma said, because despite how her crew teased, she knew this was one woman she could not sleep with, even if she was beguiled by her beauty and kind innocent nature.

She placed Regina softly onto the hammock and watched as the princess settled in, snuggling into the blankets there, lashes so long against her pale cheeks.

No wonder her mother had kept her locked up for so long. Emma could imagine many hearts and minds going awry because of fighting for her hand. Emma would have to make sure none of the hired crew got any ideas like that too. She knew her close friends wouldn't, but she would need someone to guard Regina just in case. She hadn't missed the lecherous stares sent at Regina, though Regina had.

Emma wanted to push back a lock of hair that crept onto Regina's face but held herself back. Regina was such an innocent girl and it was clear she had never done any wrong. Was it...was it fair for Emma to kidnap her like this? To hold her as ransom? Suddenly her plan did not seem as great as it had before.

She shook her head, scowling at herself.

Ten years had made her go soft. Had made her a bit rusty with the ways of pirating. She would keep Regina safe and in one piece is all, until Cora gave them the money and stepped down from her throne.

She went upstairs, deciding she should pen a letter right away that she could send to the Queen's court when they set foot down for supplies in the port town a week from now.

"Swan, are you there?" a rough knock on her head brought her back to the future.

She swatted August's hand away. "I am here."

"You may be in body but not in mind. What's got you looking so dewy eyed? Is it the princess? I must admit she is a sight to see."

She frowned at him. "Even if she did, I would not make a move on her. She is ransom, and not here for entertainment."

August made a gasped and pained expression, placing a hand over his heart. "Well, shiver me timbers. The captain not raising her mast towards such a fine lady? What has gone wrong?"

"I'll have you know I still enjoy many fine ladies, like one does with fine wine. But this is a mission and not a time for me to spread my legs," she said seriously, not wanting to belie that she did not want to touch the princess because she felt about her in a way she had never felt for another woman. Not even Lily. With Lily it had been a hate and love relationship. A give and take.

But the way Emma felt for Regina, it was like she would fight to the ends of the world for her. To protect her. And it wasn't because she wanted to lay claim to her, though she did, but because simply Regina was too pure for this world and the world didn't deserve her. She knew no evil, had heard of no evil, and Emma didn't want Regina to have to learn the nasty dealings of the world, though she supposed it would make sense for Regina to know because it was about time.

"I feel there is more than you speak, Swan," he said, but did not press further because he knew with time that she would confide in him.

Then he stumbled over to his bunk, for it would be his turn to steer the ship when morning arose. And Emma was left alone with the calm waters and her unrelenting thoughts about the princess.

Once dawn broke, she decided to go downstairs out of whim, just to see if perhaps Neal needed anything. And not at all because she wanted to see the princess. Nope, not at all for her. At least that was what she told herself.

But as she went down the stairs she found that there came a noise from the cabins. A noise she did not much like. She placed a hand on her sword and opened the door, shedding light on the scene unfolding. The princess was on her hammock, surrounded by three men. The three men that had been staring the most at the princess during Emma's observations. One stood at one end, holding Regina's hands, the other was holding her legs to prevent them from kicking, and the last had a hand over her mouth, shushing her as he leered down with a dirty grin.

Emma knew what this was. A pirate initiation. They had seen Regina's delicate status and decided she needed to be roughed up, which meant bruises and maybe scarring, and a lot of terrorizing.

They stopped as soon as Emma came in.

"Captain," the man holding Regina's arms faltered. "We were just-"

She didn't wait for an explanation. "I will not tolerate this sort of behavior towards one of our esteemed guests. Get your hands off of her and now." She pulled out a sword and held it menacingly in front of her. They let go, holding up their hands and not quite sure what to do. Regina gave a muffled cry and scrambled from the hammock, coming around to cling to Emma. She was shaking and her shirt had been ripped open at the top. Emma's anger boiled inside her. How dare anyone try to hurt such a delicate and precious person? Regina had done nothing to deserve their advances.

It didn't matter that they didn't know she was a princess. Emma had explicitly told them all when they joined the crew that Regina was special and to be treated as such. And they had disregarded her rules.

It was at that moment Neal came in, eyes going wide as he took in the scene before him. "What is going on here?"

"Neal, why were you not at your post?" Emma snapped out, angry at him too. He was supposed to be guarding Regina.

"I went out to take a leak. I was but gone for a minute," he explained, also pulling out his cutlass.

"While you were gone, these men took to trying to take advantage of Regina."

"It was him!" one of the men pointed at the man in striped pants that had covered Regina's mouth. "He told us to do it."

Striped pants glared angrily at his comrade but said nothing.

"And you followed him blindly?" Emma asked, voice low with anger. The men didn't answer at this. Emma took a step forward, throwing her shoulders back. "You follow only my instructions on this vessel. If I tell you to not touch her, and to respect her, than you will. Am I clear?"

They all slowly nodded their heads, though Striped Pants did so with a begrudging look. Despite their faked compliance, it was too late. They had broken the pirating rules. And as such, they needed to be dealt with properly. She sheathed her sword. "Neal, take them upstairs. We will figure things out properly up there. Regina, come with me."

"Aye aye, captain," Neal said, pointing his sword at them. "You heard her. Up the stairs and make no fuss or else my cold steel is the last thing you will feel."

Emma left with Regina, taking her to her own quarters. This place was nicer than the rest. She had a full bed and some space for her personal trinkets and maps. "From now on, you can sleep in my quarters. This way, no one can harm you."

Regina was still shaking and her eyes looked haunted. "What were those men going to do?" she asked, lips quivering. "They looked so scary."

Emma knelt in front of Regina on the bed. "Do not worry. They will not harm you ever again. I will make sure of it. Stay here for now. Regain your strengths. I will send Leroy with some rum to calm your nerves."

And Emma left, locking the door behind her.

It was time to deal with those assholes who had dared to try to hurt Regina. To even think of it!

She was so fuming at this slight, that she could only see one solution to this.

"Walk the plank," she snarled out when Neal brought the three of them back up, arms bound behind their backs.

A crowd had been called forth by her so that they could watch what would happen to those who disobeyed her orders. She did not take mutiny or rebellion lightly.

"Have you lost your mind?" hollered out pin stripe and he began to fight against his restraints when Neal's cold blade kissed the back of his neck.

"This is my ship. And my crew, asshole," she grit out, as she paced in front of the plank of wood that was prepared for them. "And I do not take kindly to being disobeyed. Now walk the plank yourself like a man, or I'll drag you to it like a babe."

All three men exchanged looks, dreading this. But with Neal behind them with his sword, and Sabine and August standing close by with the crowd behind them, hungry for entertainment, they had no choice.

"I am a man. More than you can be though you aim for it," spat out pin stripes and Emma scoffed.

"If you knew the truth you wouldn't be saying that about me," she jeered and her crew laughed because they all knew her reputation well given August and Sabine telling tales of her accolades and adventures on the first night the crew had been hired.

Pin strip muttered curses under his breath but marched first, holding his head up proud.

"I'll met you in Davy Jones' locker, Captain, count on it," he promised and then jumped off. He fell in with a splash and because his arms were tied, he could not swim. He would sink straight down.

She turned to the remaining two men. "And just like you followed him in his vile actions, so shall you follow to your death," she added and watched with delight as they slowly trudged up and jumped off, one by one.

The water foamed around them and bubbles burst, but after that, no one surfaced.

Emma felt better having done that. She felt like her anger had melted off, and that she had just assured Regina would never be hurt by anyone on her ship ever again.

She decided not to share the news with Regina, however, because she knew the princess would not understand their customs.

The crowds dispersed as Emma made way back to her chambers. She found Leroy inside, patting Regina on the back as she drank small sips from a hip flask.

"Is she better?" she asked softly.

"She's quieted down a bit," he said, getting up. "I should attend to the soup for the evening."

"Thank you, Leroy." Emma took his spot on the bed, rubbing her hands together and not quite sure what to say. "Princess-"

"I want to learn how to fight. Like you and Neal do."

The request was unexpected from Regina but not at the same time. She never thought Regina would want to get physical. After all, princesses were fragile. But given the recent turn of events it made sense. Still, Emma was not prone to wanting to teach her.

"You are weak, princess."

"Then teach me how to be strong. I want to protect myself in this world. I know I do not know much and I wish this was not the case but I will remedy it as best and quickly as I can. I want to learn how to fight."

Emma shook her head. "I do not want you coming to harm. I do not want you to lose the kindness in your heart. That purity. Because so many have lost it by now but you have not yet."

"I won't lose it. And I will not be harmed. If I learn to fight, will I not be safer?" Regina's eyes blazed determination and it turned out she had a stubborn streak the size of the ocean.

"No."

"Then I will ask someone else to help me."

She turned to leave. Emma placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. She let out a sigh as she looked into Regina's now eager eyes. "Fine, I shall teach you. But remember, those who pick up a sword must be ready to die by the sword."

Emma didn't know if Regina would truly understand the meaning of this, but the princess nodded her head solemnly. "Of course."

And so they practiced each day. Emma went easy on Regina, teaching her the foundations and the basics. She taught her how to sheathe and unsheathe the blade. How to hold it steady. How to par, how to land blows, how to disarm someone, and how to tell where an opponent's blade was going to go judging by their muscle movements and their eyes.

"The eyes are the window to the soul and they tell you everything you need to know about someone. That is why, pay attention to the blade but also pay attention to the eyes."

Emma taught Regina the importance of footwork in maintaining balance and in not tripping up on environmental factors. And she also taught Regina how to care for her blade. "The blade is an extension of you. So care for it, as you would for your own hand."

Regina was an eager and fast learner and she often was knocked down to the floor with wooden swords that Emma used for their sparring lessons. No need for real swords until Regina could get a handle on things. Under the pace of their training and the hot sun beating down on them, they practiced until Regina was sore, sweating, and aching. But she was happy when she would make the slightest bit of progress. Still, there would be a ways to go until she was even competent with the blade and Emma instructed her to challenge Sabine or Neal to a duel in her spare time.

No doubt Regina would want to learn how to use a gun next, but not until she learned the trade of steel.

"I feel like a real adventurer now," Regina had gushed with excitement despite her sore muscles.

"You crave to be an adventurer?" Emma had been confused by that.

"I do. Locked up in the castle all I could ever do was but read books on all these marvelous journeys and the characters that took them. But now, I can become just like them. Brave and skilled and well traveled."

"I'm afraid journeying is not all fun and games. There are all too real perils and monsters in the way. And when I say monsters, I do not mean actual monsters, but men who are as terrible if not worse than them."

"I know that," Regina nodded her head. "But with you and the crew helping me and protecting me, I do not feel afraid." She looked up so trustingly into Emma's eyes that the blonde woman had to turn away before she was consumed by guilt.

Emma found herself spending more and more time with Regina, for even at night she could not escape her. They shared a bed since the incident with those three men and to be respectful Emma would put up pillows between their divides of the bed. And somehow, each night, the pillows would end up on the floor and Emma would find Regina cuddled up to her, sighing happily in her sleep.

That did not bond well for Emma's friend down there, and she had to shift several times in order to avoid poking the princess.

She did not want to reveal her secret to her.

And they had long conversations until the break of dawn. Regina would stay up, listening to Emma talk about the oceans. She told her everything there was to know on it, and on how ships ran and worked. Regina soaked everything up like a sponge, and always at the end, she had more questions.

Emma adored that, the way her eyes sparkled with new information and the way she paid rapt attention to everything Emma said. She stared a lot at Emma. And she did a bad job of hiding it. Emma wondered, what ran through the princess's mind. She knew she was being appraised by her, but for what means? Was it simple curiosity or because Emma looked like someone from one of those many books Regina had read?

For Emma asked Regina about her life too. And it was disheartening to hear it. She could only imagine how terrible it must be to be kept locked up, only let out on wedding day.

"I actually must thank the people who set off those explosives, though you must think me insane to do so," Regina had admitted one time, a bit shamefully. "Because I did not want to marry that man."

"I wouldn't either, from the way you describe him," Emma chuckled.

"I want to marry someone I love. And I know that will only ever be a dream, because royalty does not have that choice."

This sobered Emma, seeing the bright princess so down, fiddling with her hands. "Perhaps you will get a chance to do that. Maybe, you don't have to return to the castle. Maybe you can run away?"

Regina's head jerked up at the suggestion and a smile almost crossed her lips before she censored it and shook her head. "I dreamed of running away and I tried so many times. But, I was young then and did not realize my duty. I have responsibilities back home. I have to go back and marry Leopold. When it is safe again, of course."

"That sounds horrid," Emma commented, not hiding her true thoughts now.

"It is the life of a noble. You should be happy you do not have it. How did you grow up?"

And Emma had launched into a watered down version of her youth, skipping out on the pirating part. But she did talk a lot about Henry. She missed him, and she wondered how he was doing. She had sent a letter but it would be a while before she could hear back from him.

"I did not know you had a son. He sounds marvelous," Regina said.

"Aye he is," Emma could not keep a smile from crossing her lips on thinking of him. "Have you thought of having kids?" she asked.

Regina shrugged, quite an unladylike thing to do. It seemed she was picking up the habits of pirates more and more often. Her appearance once so stiff and stilted becoming looser and less flourished over the days on the ship. Like she was physically relaxing from her strict childhood. "I know it is my duty to do so. But I think I would like to have some. Would you ever have more than just Henry?"

"Henry is my whole world right now...but perhaps if I had the chance to have a proper family, I might consider adding more to it. Sadly, his other parent was killed not long ago, and the loss has hurt the both of us."

"I am sorry to hear that," Regina said, placing a gentle hand on Emma's bicep. The touch sent a bolt of electricity down Emma's spine and she shifted on her legs, trying to control the sudden emotion it evoked in her.

"It is fine. We will deal with it how we must," Emma responded with brusquely.

"Tell me more about them, if you do not mind," Regina asked. "I do love a good story. Especially a tragically romantic one."

Emma decided to indulge her. In this way, it would get some of Lily's death off of her chest. Maybe loosen up her lungs. But she wouldn't mention Lily was a woman; she wasn't sure how the princess would look upon that. It might be too scandalous for her delicate tastes. "We weren't always on the right foot," Emma started, eyes unfocusing as she looked back to her thoughts. "We hated each other at first, but as time went on, we came to trust each other and work together..." and Emma launched into a quick mostly innocent tale, one of her more famous ones, of how she and Lily had drunkenly broken into a navy commander's house, stolen his coins, wrecked his house and then hung him from the roof without his trousers so the villagers could laugh at him.

Emma's voice carried the story and though the princess's head began to bob up and down with slumber, she fought valiantly to keep it up. In the end, sleep claimed her and she nodded off, sitting against the mast behind Emma before the dawn could even rise. If Emma knew anything about Regina's family, it was that they had probably tucked her into bed at eight on the dot and that this was the latest the princess had ever stayed up.

Emma bent down to pick the princess up, carrying her bridal style down to her chamber where she laid her softly on the covers. She was smiling, even in her sleep. It was like the princess could not stop smiling, even at the mundane things that happened on ship.

When Emma had seen her at the wedding, her face had been smooth, a fake smile dying on her lips, like she was pushing back on her fears for the day. But now, each expression was so genuine. She wondered if perhaps the princess would be happier like this, living like a simple pirate. But no, the idea was absurd. Who would give up being rich and royal for a ship and being hunted down by many?

Shaking her head, Emma went back up to her post.

The rest of the week on sea was also smooth sailing. No storms and not a single cloud in the sky. The princess's skin became red before turning darker and the complexion looked fitting on her, going along with her dark hair and eyes, and it looked like she came from the night though her soul only bore light.

They were able to reach port on Sunday. This would be where Emma mailed the letter and resupplied. They would wait here for a week or two, while they waited for a response from the Queen. In the meantime they would sleep on board in order not to pay rent in a tavern.

Regina was curious, and she wanted to see another town and how the people here lived. And who was Emma to say no to her. The poor girl was starved for worldly sights and Emma was only too glad to enlighten her.

She employed Sabine and Ruby to join her, leaving Neal and August in charge of the crew in her stead.

And such 'wonders' Regina experienced. Emma took her to try candy, to try freshly smoked meats, and to even watch a jester perform on the streets for a pretty penny. It was all so new to her. How could one not even taste candy?

"Mother never let me have it. Said it would rot my teeth," Regina explained to Ruby's questions.

"You poor girl," she sighed and shook her head before shoving all her candy to Regina. "Here. Eat to your heart's content. You have years of repression to make up for."

Regina gladly took them.

Each night the four of them would wander town, and see what it would hold. And then one night gypsies came to town. They always brought intrigue and pagan magics with them and Emma believed it would interest Regina so to see them in action.

So they ventured out into the woods where the gypsies made camp. The sound of accordions and balalaika's filled the air as did the smell of roasting meats and fire. Many townsfolk were already there, laughing and loud, drinks in their hands.

"Where shall we go to first?" Emma asked Regina who looked on in excitement.

"I do not know. What can we do here?" She was practically vibrating with repressed excitement.

"We can get our hands read. That will tell us what awaits in the future," Emma said, pulling Regina towards a tent with an old crone sitting inside it. It was quieter and cooler in the tent and it smelled of incense.

"We would like two palm readings," Emma said, fishing out some coin. Though Emma didn't believe in palm readings and in them being actually accurate, they were fun to listen in on, to see what the fortune tellers could come up with.

"Come in, come in," breathed out the woman when she accepted the coin. She had many wrinkles on her face and wore odd garbs with sequins and bangles on them. There was a table in the middle where there were cards on one side and an orb on the other. "Who first?" she asked and Emma stepped forward so that Regina could be more certain of what the activity entailed and how to act during it.

Emma held out her palm and the old woman snatched it up, peering down in concentration. She ran her knobby fingers over Emma's life, love, and health lines, muttering to herself in her language as she analyzed.

She sat back when she was done and began to speak, her beady eyes boring into Emma. "You have much anger in you. Much anger. Against one whose heart is not in the right place. You also mourn the loss of someone close to you. Someone you once loved." Huh, well that information could oddly be placed onto Emma's current situation. "But not to worry. You will meet new love, and it will take crossing many oceans to find them. And they will be your true love."

Okay, Emma wasn't sure about that part. There were many oceans. The odds of running into a finding her true love were slim. She stood up and now it was Regina's turn.

The fortune teller took her hand in her's, this time only taking a minute to deduce a reading. "You do not work much. Your life has been soft up until now. But it will become harder. And you will learn much. Much about yourself, about your mother. And not all of it will be good. Because you will be betrayed by someone you have grown to trust. Sleep with one eye open, princess."

Emma felt the breath in her lungs freeze. How—how the hell did this fortune teller know Regina was a princess? And betrayal...was she implying Emma selling Regina off, implying that Regina would soon find out that she had been kidnapped for ransom rather than be saved?

Her heart thudded in her chest but Regina seemed to not think too much on this. "Thank you," she said and walked out, beaming to Emma on how cool the whole experience had been. "She knew I was a princess. How did she know? And me being betrayed? Who will betray me?"

Emma shook her head, back pedaling to find a way to explain this. "They often make up things, throw out phrases that sound amazing and prophetic but aren't. She knew you were a princess because your hands were so soft. Only royalty has hands these smooth. And thus now that you are out in the real world, you will learn much. It doesn't take a genius to figure this out."

"Oh," Regina's face drooped. "So it's not true."

Emma let out a relieved internal sigh. "No. But it's fun to see what they come up with. Now, lets get some smoked boar. I heard they cook it well."

* * *

At long last came the Queen's response and it was filled to the brim with ire as was expected.

In it she did not back down from Emma's demands and instead told her to come face to face with her, naming her a coward for using such methods. The navy would be looking for them now without a doubt.

"So, captain, where are we going to keep the princess?" Sabine asked. "The Queen has gotten her note and she has sent her navy upon us. Where shall we weather the storm out?"

"The one place the Queen and her huntsman cannot legally reach us. The Pirate Cove," Emma said.


	6. Pirate Cove

_"So, captain, where are we going to keep the princess?" Sabine asked. "The Queen has gotten her note and she has sent her navy upon us. Where shall we weather the storm out?"_

_"The one place the Queen and her huntsman cannot legally reach us. The Pirate Cove," Emma said._

_..._

The Pirate Cove: Home to all sea scoundrels. And the only safe place for pirates to legally walk around. The whole place had been founded by pirates on the island of Nassau and sometime in the past a treaty had been made between the Cove and sovereign governments that lead the Cove being recognized as it's own nation, free from other government influences.

That didn't mean every nation was happy with this, but they knew better than to sail around the waters of the Pirate Cove if they wanted to keep their ships and their lives.

"And you say I will be safer there?" Regina asked once Emma explained to her the location's history.

"Aye, you shall."

"But I am not a pirate! Surely they will be able to tell-"

Emma waved away her concerns. "Stay close to us, speak none, and you shall be fine. We will only stay there until it is safe to come back out."

"And how long will that be?"

"However long it takes," Emma replied with as they pulled the ship up to dock.

The docks were crowded with all sorts of shindigs and boats and ships. And the shores were crowded with pirates as well, either on their third bottle of drink, or cooking something up on a spit.

The stench on these islands never seemed to clear. It was one that stank of alcohol, sweat, and smoke, as if the very island was made from them.

Regina could not help but linger closely to Captain Swan. Even though the blonde had finally awarded Regina her own steel cutlass which she had pinned to her hip, she did not have confidence in her own abilities just yet. And neither did she really want to hurt someone with it.

"Walk with a swagger," Emma said, noting Regina's small body language. "If they smell weakness on you, they will come for your throat."

Regina nodded her head and swallowed nervously. She needed to be braver. Hadn't she wanted adventure just like in the books? If she wanted to succeed she needed to be a cunning and resourceful heroine.

She pulled her back upright and spread her legs so that she could walk with a more confident gait, mimicking Swan's own movements. Once the ship was anchored and the sails pulled closed, the crew walked off, Emma leading the way and Regina sticking close by her.

As she walked she took in everything, noting the squalor and filth the island was covered in. It almost made her stomach riot because of all the smells so she kept her breathing light. So, this was peak pirate culture it seemed. The epicenter of it all.

She was intrigued by it, but now that she had seen it, she'd rather not see it again.

"We will be staying at an inn out of the way of the main street," Emma said, pulling her hat down low over her face as if to hide it. Regina wondered why she was doing this, when her face was so pretty.

They had not walked more than twenty paces when a loud voice called for them. Regina swiveled to look but Emma's hand clamping her shoulder stopped her from doing so. The message was clear: keep walking.

But the voice did not stop calling. "Oi, Swan. Swan, have you gone deaf?"

Reluctantly and with a huge groan, Emma was forced to stop when a man ran up to her. He was wearing a heavy leather overcoat and mud splattered boats. His hair was cut short and he had dark stubble on his handsome face. And where one hand should be, was a hook. It gleamed menacingly in the sun.

"Swan, sink me, I thought you had given up this life style," he said, reaching out his hand. Emma clasped his in a tight grip and he winced at the pressure she put behind it. He words were slurred with drink and he did not seem at all that steady on his feet.

Regina watched the exchange curiously. Had Emma done this before; taken people she needed to protect to the Cove?

"The sea is a tempting mistress. And I could not resist her call for too long," she smiled stiffly at him. "Now, if ye don't mind, I'll be on my way. I'm here on business."

"Too much business, that ye cannot even splice the mainbrace- your crew and mine?" he asked, his eyes landing on Regina. "Aye, I see you've got yourself a pretty fine bird on crew," he smiled, leering down at her and Regina felt disgust coil in her stomach. She instinctively stepped closer to Emma. She shouldn't have, for Emma protectively stepped in front of her, anger marring her features. "What I do with her is on my own terms. Best keep your nose out of it, savvy?"

He kept the smile plastered on his face. "You must excuse me then, because she looks stunningly similar to someone." He placed his hook over the hilt of his cutlass, a smug look on his face. "I heard the princess was missing. Stolen away by some ruffians."

Regina's heart stops in her chest. Does he know? Will she no longer be safe here?

Emma laughs it off. "How could the princess be stolen away when she lives behind locked doors."

"Did ye not hear of the wedding? Of how the princess was kidnapped then?"

Her, kidnapped? No, but she had been rescued, right? Unease fluttered into her stomach.

"Killian, you tell such high tales. You must be three sheets to the wind. Do yourself a favor and lie down before the drink tips you over."

She patted him condescendingly on the shoulder as she stepped past him. His face darkened at her distaste. As Regina walked past him on shaking feet, he glared at her and she gulped nervously. She raced to catch up to Emma, wanting clarification. The gypsy woman had said something about betrayal...Regina hoped she was wrong.

"What was he talking about?"

"Ah, don't listen to him. He's drunk on rum and rumors." Emma waved it off.

"But he had some of the facts correct, so then what could that mean?" Regina pressed, wanting to be wrong about this feeling coiling inside her. Emma's face did not falter, though her voice did get tighter.

"Fake word, no doubt put out by your enemies hoping to lure you in when all they want to do is hurt you. We will stay put until the Queen sends word for us."

Regina nodded her head in acquiescence and wordlessly followed Emma, two unnamed crew members walking behind her.

And thus, they began their stay in the Pirate Cove. Emma and Regina shared a bed and a room, so that Emma could look over her and keep her safe. Emma's close crew stayed in the tavern as well while the rest of the crew were free to do as they pleased on the island until time came for them to board once more.

In the meantime they did nothing more than spend coin on food and drink and attend barbaric pirate rituals.

"I'm heading over to cracked Jenny's tea cup," August said, clasping Emma on her back. "You coming with me?"

"They have a tea shop here? Can I come?" Regina had asked for it had been a while since she'd had tea and she missed that aspect of her home life.

August had only given her an odd look along with Emma before the two of them burst out laughing, making Regina's cheeks go pink.

"You say the darnedest things, princess," August chortled, wiping away a tear.

"What did I say wrong?" she mumbled under her breath in shame, not understanding.

"I'll have to reject your gracious offer," Emma told August. "I don't like paying for women with coin."

"Aye, see you once my mast is done, captain," he winked and strode off in the direction of the tea house.

Emma then turned to Regina, whose eyes were wide in confusion.

They pleaded wordlessly for Emma to explain and she did so in a delicate manner. "It is a place for men to enjoy loose women."

"Oh!" And Regina's cheeks flushed even more. She had no desire to go to such a place. And why had August propositioned Emma to go there as well? Did Emma also enjoy women? The thought made Regina's cheeks burn even brighter and something pleasurable twist inside her stomach almost taking her breath away with it's intensity. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and feelings on this away.

"Come, let us go somewhere else. I know of a little show that might garner your interests," and Emma had steered them in the direction of a bonfire on the sandy dunes of a beach. Many men were already gathered here and they were drunk by the smells of it.

As Regina passed them by, they all leered at her, a few whistling at her.

"Young lass, why don't you sit on me lap?" called out, followed by the laughter of his crew as he waved her over in what was meant to be an enticing manner. She felt revulsion crawl down her spine as she shrunk into herself, but the warm hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Don't listen to them. They're not worth it," Emma grunted out, though her eyes screamed ferociousness at those men. Screamed daggers to their throat. She would kill them if they so much as raised a finger towards the princess. Regina nodded her head and clutched the pommel of her hilt hard.

They got to a lesser crowded part of the beach, where Ruby was standing with two cut coconuts in half, filled with liquor. "Took you a while to get here," she said, handing them each one. "I almost drank myself to death from boredom."

"We didn't take that long."

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," Regina and Emma said at the same time, Ruby arching a brow at Regina's manners. "Well, someone knows how to apologize to a lady," she said, turning pointedly to Emma.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Last time I checked, you're not a lady. You swear too much to be one."

"You're fucking wrong," Ruby said, laughing and bumping shoulders with Emma in good taste.

The three of them stood around the fire, waiting for the musicians to assemble themselves.

There was a man on the accordion, one on the drums, and one on the guitar. "For ye listening pleasure, we bring you the singing tale of a sea hero, a captain by the name of Long John."

Emma knew the story well, every pirate did, but Regina did not. "Listen well, this is a part of pirating history."

And Regina did.

A hush fell over the crowd and they listen in rapt attention as the story was told in a combination of singing and music that chronicled his many adventures over the seas and land and even air. It was a fantasy tale but also a moral code, a tale of caution, and when it was over, Regina felt like she had learned something she wouldn't have in any book.

"Did you like it," Emma asked and Regina nodded her head fervently.

"I did. It was refreshing."

"I think a nap would be refreshing right now," Ruby said, swaying slightly on her feet. The night had grown colder around them and Regina shivered slightly. Emma slipped her red coat around Regina's shoulders. It was warm and smelled like her; a combination of sea and vanilla.

She felt warmer already in it.

"We shall walk you to your bed, wolf, and then I may stay up for another drink, if Regina will accompany me."

"I am not too tired." Regina had barely touched her drink because she did not want to embarrass herself again like she had with Leroy's dinners. Emma had drank hers but had only had one so she was fine. Ruby had kept drinking throughout the story.

They walked Ruby to the tavern, the path dark and muddy, barely lit by gaslight. Loud voices came from up ahead and Emma's face fell into a deep frown. "That does not sound good," she noted and hurried her step. Regina and Ruby kept pace, the former recognizing Neal's voice, clearly agitated.

"Bugger off!" he growled out and Regina could see him under a lamp post sputtering feebly. His sword was out and he was surrounded by six men, all looking hungry for blood.

"Stay back with Ruby," Emma warned Regina.

Ruby spoke up. "I can fight-"

"In your state, you'll only get yourself hurt," Emma hissed at Ruby who scowled but did as asked. Regina pulled her aside to stand by some bushes where they would be partially hidden. Her heart was thudding in her chest and she felt nervous. But she wanted to see what was happening.

"Tell us where the girl is!" growled out one of the offenders. "And we won't need to harm ya."

"I have no idea of whom you speak off," Neal said, his voice steady despite the danger around him. Emma was walking quietly up behind them, and if he noticed her he did not give anything away. He just kept his grip steady on the sword as Emma pulled her's out.

"Gentlemen, I suggest backing away from my boatswain least you find a hole in you," she threatened and they spun on their heel to face her, giving Neal the chance to step forward and run his sword right through the man who had been standing right in front of him.

A gurgle died on his lips as he dropped to the ground, the sword exiting smoothly, tip red. Regina's eyes opened wide and she felt like she was going to be sick. "Oh god," she groaned out and spun away, bending over, trying to catch her breath.

She had just seen a man killed in front of her. And by Neal too.

"First time seeing a kill?" Ruby taunted in an unhelpful manner.

Shouts erupted behind her, and swords clanged on swords. Several heavy thumps fell to the ground. They sounded just like the first body falling had and she felt sick to her stomach, it coiling and boiling with disgust until she finally retched.

Ruby watched her coolly before shaking her head and sighing heavily. She crouched down next to her, rubbing soothing circles on her back, until Regina could finally stand back up, feeling shaky on her limbs.

A couple moments later silence fell and Emma and Neal approached the bushes they were in, spots of drying blood on their shirts and blades bloody.

"Ruby, did you throw up?" Emma asked.

"No, I didn't drink that much," Ruby said.

"Did you...did you kill them?" Regina stammered out, looking pale like a ghost. Shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"'Course we did," Neal answered without hesitation. "If we didn't, they would kill us."

"Princess," Emma reached out a hand but Regina stepped back, frightened.

"No. Don't touch me."

Emma's hand dropped and she felt hurt but she tried not to show it.

"Ruby, take me home," Regina said, sharply looking away. She couldn't believe it. They had killed someone. They didn't have to.  _They didn't._

Ruby nodded her head, shrugging to Emma and Neal in a 'what can I do?' manner before taking Regina back to her room. There the princess sat down on the bed, tossing the captain's red coat onto the chair by the window.

She didn't know how to feel. Except betrayed. She had thought the captain a gentle creature. But...

She had not been on the bed long before Emma strode into the room. Regina did not bother to turn around to look at her.

"Regina, I cannot fathom why you are upset. This sort of behavior is all too common in the world. You have been locked up for ages, you do not know the true horrors of men. To be fair I wished to spare you from them, and I am sorry you had to see it. I told you to look away, but you did not listen. You only have but yourself to blame for seeing this." Emma said this quickly and from the other side of the bed, not making any action to step closer.

"What difference does it make. I merely would have been blind to knowing you are a killer. Both you and Neal."

"Nay, we are all killers on the crew Regina. All of us. And we do it to protect you, do not mistake that. Those men were after you and they were going to kill my crew if I did not help out. I truly had not wished you to see such horrors, but atlas you have and there is nothing more I can do about it. If you need time and space I shall give it to you. I merely wish to change out of my clothes."

"The clothes of a murderer," spat Regina, hoping to hurt Emma. Hoping to hurt her like she had been hurt.

Emma did not say anything to this, merely took her change of clothes and her jacket, before leaving silently.

* * *

Two weeks passed in this manner. Regina kept to her room, her food being delivered by Emma to her door each day. When she would bring it up, all she would do is softly knock and call out the name of the meal. Regina would wait until she was gone before opening the door and eating what was offered. Regina now slept on an empty bed and it felt odd to do so, given how full it had been before with Emma's warm form. The captain kept her word and gave Regina space while the princess grappled with moral dilemmas.

What would she do with this new information? She had thought them all good people, and they killed.

_But do not the heroes in your stories kill as well? Men and monsters of evil who threaten good?_  An inner voice asked and she sighed, torn on how to feel. She wanted to keep liking them but how could she be friends with killers?

_Just like how you can like heroes who kill._

Regina rubbed her forehead and sighed out heavily. Reality and fantasy were two different things.

Regina found herself growing bored from staying inside the room all day. Never again could she do such a thing; let herself to be allowed to be kept confined to four walls. Not when she had tasted the outside world. And already she had wasted too much time. So when Emma was gone one day, out to get breakfast for them, Regina decided to go out on a bit of a walk. Just to stretch her legs. She knew this island was full of unsavory characters and she didn't want to run into any trouble so she would be brief. And she would take her sword with her. Emma and the others had trained her but she still had a long ways to go before she would be of any use with the blade.

She didn't want to harm anyone with it, just scare them away.

She left the tavern in her pirate disguise, passing by some sleeping drunks on the stoops. Everyone here drank like a fish, even Emma, and Regina could never get on board with that. Drink was such a foul thing and it made her head spin and hurt. The first time she had gotten drunk she hadn't even know she had. She had eaten Leroy's soup which contained rum. Sabine had told Regina the next day that she had danced with all of them, and then fallen asleep in Captain Emma's arms, before having to be carried to bed.

Regina had flushed in embarrassment at that. The captain must think her a lady of no class for doing such a thing. But Sabine had laughed and waved it away, saying that they didn't mind because they all lacked half the class that Regina held in simply the pinky finger on her body.

That had made Regina feel a mite better. But it hadn't stopped her from thinking over how the captain must be so strong for a woman as to carry Regina over herself to the bunk. It only made Regina's admiration and adoration of the captain stronger, inciting feelings deep inside her belly that she could not yet name.

And when that horrid incident had happened aboard ship to Regina, and Emma had come to save her, Regina couldn't be more grateful. She only wondered what had happened to those men afterwards. She had never seen them after all that transpired. And now with knowledge of Emma's killing abilities, she feared they were dead for that infraction. And she felt terrible over it, but she knew it was too late now to do anything. How many had the captain killed to keep Regina safe? Was it, in fact Regina's fault? Was she the root of all evil here? Driving others to kill?

Conflict rested uneasily in her head and heart and she knew she needed to make sense of it and soon for she could not live torn in half life this.

However, a good thing did come from the incident on the ship. Sharing the bed with the Captain. Regina had shared the bed before with her handmaidens and female servants but never with an adult woman who she barely knew. It was both an exhilarating and nerve wracking experience. Yet she wanted to do it, because she wanted to do new things. She wanted to experience a world unlike the one she had been raised in. And so she had slid under the covers, though the captain had pushed pillows between them so as to give them both some modesty and space. Emma had been the first to fall asleep, Regina only feigning it. Due to her nerves she was a bit unable to sleep and when she turned around she could see the captain's noble features bathed in moonlight coming in through the window. Her features were soft and harsh at the same time, giving her a rugged yet feminine appearance. Her nose was strong and her jawline cut. And her lips were nearly always a straight line unless they were lifted in humor or drink with her friends.

And her curls. So golden and perfect, even with the sea wind and harsh sun on board the ship. Regina longed to reach out and touch them. Regina knew many said she was the prettiest woman in the world, with her auburn hair and caramel eyes and lovely figure. But she didn't much care for her own looks for they had only made her be locked away like some treasure, never to see the light of day.

Regina looked on at Emma's slumbering face before she finally drifted off into sleep. From then on the nights were easier as she grew accustomed to having the captain in the same bed as her.

Emma had never done her harm. Had been kind to her and taught her many things. As had her close crew. Could a person who hurt in the name of good truly be a good person? She wasn't a scoundrel by any means. Her personality was nice.

Deep in her thoughts of the past's journey on ship, Regina did not notice the man following her for a good twenty paces. He had been hiding before behind the pillar of the tavern she had been staying in, and now he took his chance to trail her, beady eyes glowing under the hat obscuring his face with shadows.

Regina's growling stomach brought her out of her thoughts. She looked around her and saw a tavern close by. She had some coin in her pocket and she would eat there. She sat down in a rickety chair and ignored some cat calls sent her way. She ordered some breakfast and waited for it to arrive, but she did not have to wait alone for the man who had been following her, took the spare seat in front of her.

"There you are darling," he winked at her, taking off his hat. "I was hoping to find you."

Him, she'd seen him before. Emma had called him Killian. Regina wasn't sure she liked him and she'd like to leave but her food had just come and she was hungry.

"Why were you looking for me?" she asked, watching that hook of his. It looked sharp. He noticed her discomfort at it.

"This. I lost me hand to a croc with a nasty bite," he explained, though he did hide it away under the table. That made her feel a bit more at ease. "And I had some talking to do with you. But, do eat your breakfast in peace. We are in no rush."

Regina wasn't sure if she could trust him, so she warily watched him as she ate her meal. The food was horrid but she was hungry. She missed the castle kitchens. They had amazing food.

"What may I call such a wondrous creature like you?" he asked, eyeing her.

"Regina," she said. "And what may I call you?"

"My name is Killian but I prefer to go by Captain Hook when on land and sea," he smiled at her in a crooked manner like his name was supposed to mean something to her. It did not. "I was wondering what you were doing on Captain Red Baroness's crew."

"Who?"

"Ah!" he popped his brow. "I see you do not know her by that name. Perhaps she has discarded it. But I speak of Emma. We call her that because of her red trademark jacket. And because of her kind treatment of enemies."

"She's merely protecting me," Regina answered, not wanting to give too much away.

"From who?"

"Evil men who are coming after me."

"What evil men?" he peered in, closer.

She leaned back, further. "Why do you wish to know?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because I care. Emma and I were close once upon a time. But aye, the seas drew us apart. And now that we are back on the same isle, I wish to help you, as a favor to her. So tell me more about these men who wish to harm you, Regina. Tell me about yourself and I can add men to help you on your safe travels."

That sounded good. "If you send extra men, will Emma no longer have to kill?"

"No longer have to...?" His lips clamped tight here as if he was holding back something, like laughter. His eyes shone in amusement. "Yes, she won't."

Regina sighed in relief. "I have quite the dilemma," she admitted. "I like Captain Swan and her crew. They were all so kind to me to take me from the castle, but then they had to kill some men and I don't like that. I wish they wouldn't have to do it. Not for my sake." In this moment understanding flooded her. So that was why she felt so wrong about this. She knew the taking of life was wrong, but justifiable under the right circumstances. But what bothered her more was the fact that it had been to protect her. She didn't want them to have to do that anymore.

Her eyes widened and she let out a loud gasp. "I don't wish to be protected or hunted down by these people any more."

Killian watched her with sharp eyes. "I can help you," he said calmly. "Let us go speak to Swan right away to get this matter settled."

"Oh but I cannot," she said as he stood up eagerly. "I am not on the best of terms with her."

He looked frustrated at that, but it quickly flitted away. "Then we shall make things right. Come," he held his hand flat out, offering to help her up.

She rather not quarrel with the captain and she figured two weeks was a long enough silence. She wanted to converse easily with her once more.

She took his hand. They walked out past some dilapidated rows of houses and stores, before winding down some revolting alleyway. As they neared the end, a man with a dirty face entered, grinning with a leer at Regina.

" 'Ello, girlie," he said and she had just managed to place a hand on her hilt when she was grabbed roughly behind. "Killian!" she spurted out but the man had vacated her and was watching all this happen from the sidelines.

She was hit hard in the back of her head, hard enough for it to make her lull forwards as the man in front held onto her.

A dark bag went over her head as rough hands continued grabbing her and the next thing she knew, she was out like a light.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Definitions for pirate lingo
> 
> Three Sheets to the Wind: Very, very drunk.
> 
> Savvy: Do you understand?
> 
> Splice the mainbrace: Give the crew an alcoholic drink, sort of like a reward/ party.
> 
> Cracked Jenny's Tea Cup: a brothel where people would spend the night.
> 
> Sink Me: an expression of surprise.


	7. Hooked

_A dark bag went over her head as rough hands continued grabbing her and the next thing she knew, she was out like a light._

_…_

Two Days Ago~

Emma found Killian sitting in a bar as usual, a lager in his only hand and a wench on his lap as he chortled loudly at something the six crew members around him said.

"Killian, a word," she said as she swaggered up to him, brimming with anger and injustice. The men who had attacked her and Neal that day not too long ago, were men he had hired. Common scoundrels that would kill for a crooked doubloon.

"I'm a bit busy right now, come back later," he shooed her away without even looking at her, turning to nuzzle his mouth into the wench's throat who pretended she liked this by laughing obscenely.

Emma was not pleased. She parked herself in front of his table, hands on hips. "You will make time," she insisted.

The crew laughed at her. So did Killian. "You hear that. She demands a man make time for her. She orders a man around!"

Anger burned in her veins. She ground her teeth. "You must excuse us," Emma spoke to the woman on Killian's lap and the woman, seeing the fires burning in Emma's eyes, knew she would be fool to stay. She picked her skirts up and left.

"Where you going, lass," he called after her and made to get up when Emma placed a boot between his open legs, pressed right over his crotch in silent threat as one hand dug into the front of his open shirt.

Immediately swords and pistols were pulled out on her by his crew as chairs scrapped back. She barely flinched at the knowledge. Killian raised his hand and hook in a placating gesture. "Why, come to take me up on my offer of slipping into bed with me?" he grinned disgustingly up at her. He had tried to bed her many a time but always she had turned him down with a bullet through his captain's hat. Sadly he was not wearing it now, so she could not have the pleasure of ruining it again. She did, however, press her foot down harder until she could see his brow twitch in pain. Still, that annoying grin was upon his face.

"Why did you hire those men to come after my boatswain, Neal?" she growled out, shaking him a bit. He calmly took a sip of his drink.

"I know not what you speak of."

"Yes, you do. Why hire them? What was the point of it all?"

"Do not flatter yourself," he said, suddenly dropping his smarmy grin as he was getting pissed off at her ruining his evening. "Not everything on this island revolves around you. Neal could have been targeted because he was drunk and they thought they could rob him. You know how this island works."

"Except the men were spouting on about 'where the girl is'."

He shrugged. "And what does that have to do with me? They could have been bloody mistaken. Pirates aren't the brightest bunch. Ye would know," and he smugly smirked at her, insulting her intelligence. She let him go with an annoyed sigh. He wasn't admitting to anything, but she knew he had something to do with it.

She would have to keep her eyes open, until she could link him to something.

She turned on her heel and left the bar, his crew following her directions with her in the sights of their guns. She left out into the chill evening air, malcontent. Ever since Regina had seen the way Emma and Neal had sliced those men down, she had refused to see Emma. Had refused to talk to her. And it was very concerning.

Emma felt like a failure. Like she had failed to protect Regina's innocence. She had sworn to do it, to spare the princess from the evils of this world but it could not be done. And now she was hated for it.

And worst of all, she missed talking to Regina. Missed their conversations and the sharing of the bed. But she knew there was no way to apologize for this. Emma was who she was and she could not change it. Either the princess accepted that or she did not. Either way, what should it matter. She was their hostage, not Emma's friend.

Still, the hole gaped in her chest and she sought to fill it the only way she knew. By sleeping with someone. So she went to the bar, and started chatting up the bar tender. Once her shift was over, the two of them found themselves in the bar tender's bed, enjoying themselves until the sun rose. Once the pretty blonde was slumbering, worn out by their activities, Emma left, feeling a bit better.

~Present~

But things would quickly prove to go downhill when she heard news that navy ships were sighted off the coast of the islands. As per rules, they could not dock and they maintained their distance. But what the hell were they doing here? They had no jurisdiction or power here. Still, it would be best to set sail to avoid any troubles that might come with them.

"Ruby, go get Regina. Everyone else, prepare the ship for sail," Emma ordered when news came around. She packed her things from the tavern as Ruby raced down the stairs, distraught. "Regina's not there!"

Ice froze in Emma's veins. "What do you mean she's not there?"

"She's gone. Her scent is stale, meaning she's been gone for several days."

"Gone?!" Emma cried out, panicking. They hadn't come this far only for their prize to run away. "Where?"

"I don't know. I can't scent that well to track her down after all this time. But she's been gone a week now."

And Emma hadn't noticed. She had felt like such an idiot. Then who had been taking the trays of food she left outside for Regina to eat? That didn't matter anymore now. She needed to find Regina. And something told her that the princess's disappearance had a lot to do with the Royal Navy being here.

"Killian," she growled out, smashing her fist into the wooden table. "He must have spirited her away. I knew he was too suspect of her. He must have know the princess was stolen for he sits in the Queen's pocket."

Ruby paled at this. "Then what must we do?"

"We have to find him and then we can find Regina."

"Aye." Ruby nodded her head solemnly. "I'll get the crew." And they separated ways.

* * *

Regina was upset. No, she was more than that. She was fearful and tired and cold. Killian had betrayed her trust- perhaps it was he whom the fortune teller had been warning about. And she had been foolish to think him of any use. Of any good heart. He was a pirate. Filthy and no good. He and his men had towed her away and stashed her in some cold cell while they bid their time.

For what, Regina did not know, and she lamented the fact that she was useless. And where was Emma? Had the captain noticed? Was she out worrying about where Regina had went?

Surely, she had to be, right?

And if she was, she was taking a really long time to do so.

Regina had lost track of how long she was in this dark place for there were no windows to tell the passage of time. But she was cold and her body ached from sleeping on hard floors. And egad, it smelled terrible. But what was worse was the men. They would come downstairs and talk about how they'd love to show Regina what a real man felt like.

Those were vile words. And she hated every moment of them. This must be why her mother had locked her up. Her beauty could cause men to say such things, and once more she wished she had not been this pretty because then she wouldn't be as bothered.

She had cried herself to sleep several times but when Killian finally came around, she put on a brave face. She was going to find out why she was here.

"Finally showing your face? After you locked me up like an animal."

"I'm trying to help you," he explained, not apologetic.

"Then why tie me up? Why imprison me?"

"So that you don't get the wrong idea and try to run away. Also, to keep you safe from my men and any others out there. You are too tempting, princess," he said, touching her chin and she jerked away in distaste.

How did he know who she was? Was he part of the group that had attacked her wedding ceremony? Where was he going to take her? She did not believe anything he spoke anymore. Emma had been right in disliking him.

"I do not trust a word from your cursed mouth, pirate," she spat as unkindly as she could which was not much. "Emma was right about you."

He guffawed. "Funny how you think she is the righteous in this case, when I am the one actually helping you to get home."

Again, Regina did not believe his words. He saw that and shook his head sadly, playing with one of the many rings on his fingers. "Do as you wish, but in the end, you will be kneeling in front of me when you learn the truth, begging my forgiveness." And then he left, leaving her in the dark damp cell.

* * *

Regina knew she was being moved because the cell was opened and she was grabbed by unfriendly hands. Regina was blindfolded and her hands tied in front of her. Her sword had been taken away and she was defenseless with no idea where she was being taken. Strange voices surrounded her and she was frightened. Scared. Where was she being taken? Why had she been kidnapped?

Her heart pounded in her chest and she wished to be rescued by Emma and her crew.

"Relax, lovely," Killian's voice oozed close to her right ear. "Soon you'll be on the right direction heading home and this nightmare will be over."

She was too scared to even use her voice, her tears having stained the blindfold on her face. She was being lead roughly to the sea for she could smell the salt, or perhaps that was because of the tears. A moment later she was placed into a rickety boat. They were floating her out somewhere. But where? On sea she would truly have no chance of rescue. The oars splashed into the water and she listened intently, hoping a clue might be offered to where she was being taken. But the boat was quiet with barely some throw away comments being made, only the grunting of men as they rowed on.

And then all of a sudden a strong hand pulled her over board.

* * *

Killian was an idiot. Neal had knocked out one of his men and taken his spot without the captain noticing. Neal knew he wore the other man's clothing and eye patch but still, his face was recognizable for the most part.

Either Killian was an idiot or he didn't care for this crew. No, it was both. And he was a traitor to his own kind to boot. Neal scowled as he shuffled quietly behind Killian and three other men who were shielding the princess as they walked to a small rowboat that would take them to the naval ships. No doubt, Killian was the one who had alerted the navy to them and was now going to send Regina back to the Queen for a hard lump of cash.

Neal kept his head down and sat on the other end of the boat, away from Regina, focusing on rowing. From the corner of his eye he could spot the Clipper his captain had stolen from some vagrant entering the water ways, heading towards the middle of the sea, between the row boat and the navy.

As soon as they were close, he would strike.

All he had to wait on was Ruby.

The woman was the strongest swimmer out of them all, and she could hold her breath the longest. It was up to her to actually get the princess across the salty brine. His job was to hold the pirates off.

"What is that Clipper doing?" grunted out one of the men, annoyed. Killian hadn't noticed it because his back was to the ships and he was admiring his face in the glint of his hook.

Neal kept his eyes peeled to the waters, watching for any ripples. Ruby would already be in the water. It was only a moment now.

As if drawn by his thoughts, with a splash she erupted from the water, and pulled Regina by the back into the water. The princess didn't even have a moment to scream.

Immediately Neal was on his feet as the men blinked in shock, Killian sitting up to look over the edge where bubbles rose from where Regina had entered. "What the blimey hell-!"

Neal raised the oar he had been using and cracked it right across the man who had been sat in front of him. The tip splintered against his head, causing him to rock back to his knees and hit his head on the side of the boat.

This left the oar with a nice sharp tip which went right through the second man's back and out his chest before he could so much as pull out his gun and turn on Neal. The third man had more time and his sword was out, but Neal was ready, pulling out his own cutlass and parrying the blow coming his way. The sword went flying through the air and into the water and Neal's cutlass went through the man's gut with a sickening sound before he kicked him off the blade with his boot and knocked him into the water.

The first man whom he had hurt had risen to his feet, blinking rapidly, and so Neal turned to deal with him, while Killian finally turned on Neal, his flintlock pointing into his back. He had been stripping to dive into the waters to save the princess, but had stopped now when the intruder on his boat became too much of a threat to ignore.

"Who are you?" he growled out and Neal stood frozen, unsure what to do. A gun to his back and a blade to his front. Could he make it out?

He shouldn't have worried.

With a grunt, Ruby splashed out of the water, and sunk her small blade into the back of Killian's leg. He let out a roar and his aim went awry. Neal moved to the left just in time for the bullet to hit the man in front of him and then dove into the cold water too as Ruby slid back in.

* * *

The sea was warm yet cold at the same time and her screams died in her throat as water flooded her lungs. She thrashed, desperately trying to breathe, to breach the surface. Her body filled with panic and all she could think of was that she was going to die here and that no one would know.

Water flooded her lungs and she choked, inhaling in hopes it would help, only to draw more water in. Something grabbed onto her under the water and then she was being tugged and tugged. Maybe it was some sea monster, come to eat her. She tried to wail in horror but it was silent and then she broke to the surface, coughing and sputtering and choking still.

Whatever was carrying her was pulling her somewhere else and she could do nothing but let it take her away as she desperately tried to breathe past all the water in her lungs. And then strong hands and voices were on her as they pulled her up somewhere. Somewhere devoid of water and dry.

"Give me room, she's got water in her lungs!" A familiar voice called out and Regina would have cried in joy in she wasn't so busy being close to the edge of blacking out. Strong hands pushed to her wet clothes, pressing down on her chest and pushing out the water. Regina groaned in pain as it came spurting out from her, salty gushers that hurt as they came up.

But Emma didn't stop pumping, going until Regina finally coughed free the last amount and turned onto her side, inhaling greedily and almost half retching. A hand ran through her hair, soothing her.

"Ruby, Neal, Sabine, get this Clipper running! Leroy, get August out of the water. We need to move before the navy comes around," Emma ordered out, taking out a sharp small blade and cutting through the restraints on Regina's wrists and then sliding off the blindfold.

"You're going to be okay," she soothed as Regina sat up and wrapped her arms in a vise like grip around Emma and started crying.

"I was so scared. And worried," she blubbered, not caring how badly this reflected on her to cry. A lady was always to be composed. But Regina didn't feel like much of a lady right now, but a scared teen.

"It'll be fine. Everything's going to be okay," Emma said, tugging Regina's wet and shaking body closer to hers. They had recovered the princess. And she was in one piece thankfully.

"Captain, the ship's running, but we've got an issue!" Ruby's voice called out. She too was sopping wet but had no time to change from her clothes. Emma had to relent holding Regina and went to the front of the ship to see what was happening. The two naval ships had started turning inwards towards them, like making a tight passageway to block them from leaving. And the Clipper was too close to successfully make a turn from the situation. All they could do was continue onwards.

"Straight ahead," she directed.

"Are you sure?"

"Open all the sails. Let's get to maximum speed!" she roared out. Unfortunately they had left the rest of the paid crew on the other ship, so they were only manning this with less than ten people. But they would have to make it work.

She flung off her semi wet jacket and rushed towards some rigging, as her crew ran back and forth, even Leroy untying and tying ropes frantically.

All of the sails unfurled and the ship shot forwards, rushing closer to the two massive ships. The water chopped around them and the wind howled. Regina rose to her unsteady feet, chest still burning from salt water and eyes stinging with tears. She clung onto the railing for balance and her eyes opened wide. Were they really heading for the naval ships? Would they make it?

They were only ten seconds away, now five, and the gap between the two loomed smaller and smaller. Regina sucked in a breath and closed her eyes as everyone else on deck braced themselves for impact. Only Emma stood tall, now behind the wheel as she forced the ship into a straight line, gritting her teeth with the effort of holding it steady.

And then they were in the tight channel, shadows of the naval ships looming over them. The navy jeered down at them, and some shots were fired but all missed. The Clipper was two thirds in when a crunch erupted from the back. The end of the Clipper had scrapped on the naval ships and wood creaked and groaned as bits splintered off. For a terrifying second the pirate crew all believed they would get stuck here.

And then they were through, the front of the naval ships crushing together as they failed to impede the Clipper.

"We did it!" Leroy shouted out and the whole crew let out wild cheers as they flipped off the navy behind them, their boat still skipping over the waves happily.

It would take far too long for the naval ships to turn their bulking forms around. The Clipper would be many waves away by then.

As Emma stepped down from behind the wheel she was clapped on the back at her success. She waved it off, saying it was nothing, before she came up to Regina. "I have a spare pair of clothes for you, if you'd like." She smiled tentatively, as if unsure of their status because of what had happened days before. But Regina couldn't care any longer. She was glad to be among friends. To be rescued. She lept into Emma's arms once more, hugging her. "Thank you for rescuing me," she said and Emma looked pained by this word choice. Regina clung on a second too long for propriety for a woman but Emma was warm and safe and she smelled just like fresh vanilla, sunlight, and a hint of sea salt.

Regina relented her hold on the woman when she realized she was soaking her clothes. Emma cleared her throat, a hint of red on the edges of her ears.

"It was no problem, princess. I will save you as many times as it takes." Those words, paired with the soft look in Captain Swan's eyes made Regina swoon a little. How utterly romantic, just like in the stories she had read. Her cheeks flushed and before she could respond, Emma had moved on, shrugging off this interaction like it hadn't just entirely inflamed her heart.

Her voice was close to steady when she said, "now, let us all relax. We deserve it."


	8. Island of Sin

_"It was no problem, princess. I will save you as many times as it takes." Those words, paired with the soft look in Captain Swan's eyes made Regina swoon a little. How utterly romantic, just like in the stories she had read. Her cheeks flushed and before she could respond, Emma had moved on, shrugging off this interaction like it hadn't just entirely inflamed her heart._

_Her voice was close to steady when she said, "now, let us all relax. We deserve it."_

_…_

Their relaxation was cut short, however. Two days of smooth sailing turned chaotic. A terrible storm had emerged at sea and their Clipper was being battered by the waves. Emma rushed to the steering wheel, her eyes clouded with worry as torrential rains down poured, soaking everything and everyone thoroughly until they looked like drowned rats.

"Shit," cursed Sabine when she saw the giant swells around them that threatened to capsize their boat. "What do we do? Turn back?"

"No, we'll have to get through the storm," Emma announced. "Close down some of the sails. We're getting too much wind." The wind howled around them, hungry for food. Their hair whipped around them and Emma's hat was almost snatched away by the strong buffets. Sabine nodded her head and went to inform the rest of the crew on what to do. They only left the main mast up, and the crazed motions of the ship slowed a bit.

Regina came from below deck, face pale as she saw the giant waves around their ship. "What's going on?"

"Do not worry," Emma shouted over the noise as the princess fell against the railing when the ship rocked to the side. "I've gotten through worst beasts of weather." She gripped the steering wheel hard, hard enough that the wood bit into her skin and that her knuckles were white. She could feel the wheel wanting to turn from her grip. Wanting to be mastered by the storm, but she did not let it. She was the one master here, and she would let no ship go down, not on her watch.

A giant swell rose before them, water black and dark, illuminated only by the crash of thunder and bolt of lightening.

"Everyone, hold on!" she hollered as she guided the ship towards it with the bow.

The ship tilted up at an angle that had those who weren't holding on slipping on the wet wood. Emma wanted to look over to see if Regina was alright, but she had to focus on the wall of water in front of her now. Surviving it was more important.

The ship ploughed right through it, making way up to the crest. Once it breached the top, it slid down the back of the wave, water splashing onto the deck with greedy and salty fingers. The ship creaked and groaned and just as it finished one wave, another one stood in front of it.

Emma grit her teeth hard and felt her palms become slippery with blood as she held an iron clad grip on the wheel, a wheel that threatened to wretch out of her grip. The storm wasn't over. And it wouldn't be over for a while. It had come out from nowhere. One second they had been sailing smoothly and the next they were in the middle of a fully developed storm that had come from nowhere. What were they to do now except manage through it?

The ship went up and down on the waves over and over, each time the crew holding their breath just in case this wave was the one that took them down. Their stomachs rolled and jolted at each harsh landing on the ship on the depression. But soon, just as suddenly as the storm had appeared, it disappeared. The storm clouds faded, the waves stilled and sun shone down on their drenched states.

"By jove's man, what the hell was that?" Neal asked, his beard and hair so soaked he looked like a drowned rat.

"I thought we were going to go to Davy Jones's locker for sure," grunted out Sabine as she steadied to her feet.

"Where the hell had that storm come from?" Leroy asked, wringing water out of his cap.

"I don't know, it didn't seem natural in nature," Emma stated, finally letting go of the wheel. Her hands were bloodied and stiff, aching terribly. She knew the oceans had many secrets and that it wasn't odd to encounter something one couldn't make heads or tails of. She turned to check on Regina. The princess looked a bit green around the gills. And she was slumped over, her grip still tight on the railing. Emma knelt next to her. "It is alright, princess. We made it through," she said soothingly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was span down a drain," was the answer in a weak voice as the princess tried to steady the roiling of her stomach. She quickly forgot about her own troubles when she saw Emma's injuries. "Are you okay?" she asked, reaching out for Emma's hands. The blonde let her, oddly touched by such sentiment.

"I am fine. This is nothing," she said as Regina turned her hands in hers, eyes glimmering with sympathy for Emma's hurt. "Nothing for having us all survive." and nothing that some splashed rum and bandages couldn't take care of."

"Captain!" Ruby's panicked voice bellowed as she rushed up the stairs to the stern. "We're lost!"

Emma frowned. "Lost, what do you mean by that?"

"It means I cannot tell where we are. At  _all_. My senses are blocked. Confused." Ruby rubbed her forehead in distress. "I'm afraid I cannot tell you how to lead the ship at all."

Emma stood up at this, alarm filling her body. This had never happened to Ruby before. "How is this possible? Was it because of the storm?"

"I've been fine in storms before. It's the waters we sail on. There is something in them that is wrong. They are unnatural."

Emma shook her head. "Fetch me a map. The one of all the ocean's charted mysteries."

Ruby rushed off to do just that. Regina stood up on shaking legs behind Emma. "Is this bad?" she voiced, afraid of the answer.

"Yes, it is bad," there was no point in sugar coating it. "But, it could get much worse soon."

Regina gulped, fearful eyes wide open.

Ruby came back with the map. She had no need for using maps, but there were some she cared for they could help them understand the seas more readily. Emma spread it open on a wet surface and frowned at it, eyes scanning the black ink and shapes. "This isn't good," she said, tapping at a spot on the map. "Given the nature of the storm and how your senses are muddled Ruby, it means we are in a most unsavory place."

"And where is that?" Ruby breathed out, fearful of the answer. There were few things that bothered her captain.

Emma lifted her head up to look Ruby right in the eyes. "The Bermuda Triangle."

"Oh," Ruby managed out, her throat tight. They had all heard the stories of this place. And they all knew it's dangers. "Then we must make peace with the fact that we will never make it out," she said dejectedly. Dread filled her along with hopelessness.

"Do not give up hope," Emma said sternly, trying to bolster her own crew mate. "Some sailors have escaped. And so will we." She rolled the map up and gave it to Ruby, clasping her on the shoulder in solidarity. "Tell the others of our location and to keep their eyes and ears peeled. And then unfurl the sails. The only way out is to keep trying."

Then Emma turned to Regina. "Do not worry, princess. We will get you out, safely."

Regina nodded her head. It wasn't only her own safety she was worried for, but for the crew and the captain's as well.

* * *

They sailed for three nights and four days without sight of anything else until Neal slid down from the crow's nest and announced he had spotted something. "Land ho!" he exclaimed, happy, for their supplies were ending.

"Do you think we've sailed out of the triangle?" Ruby asked, sniffing hard as if she could regain her direction by some miracle.

"No, probably not. The triangle is vast and we do not know how far we've gone. Which is why we must be careful when we dock. We have no idea what is waiting for us on the island." Emma stared off into the horizon and watched as the small dot there became larger and larger until finally it was before them. Many ships were already there. Most of them pirate ships or merchant ones. Even a couple of naval ships and a few canoes with markings Emma did not recognize. And on the shore were people lounging around in the sun getting tan and eating and drinking. They looked happy.

"Princess, stay aboard the ship with Leroy," Emma said. "The rest of us will go down and see what we can get here." She rested her hand on the hilt of her sword. So far the place looked safe, but one could never know. Around her Neal, August, Sabine and Ruby also packed up some guns and swords, sliding them into the confines of their clothing.

Regina wished to go along with Emma but she knew after what had happened last time the captain wouldn't want harm coming to her, so she said nothing just sat down.

"You're gonna help me peel potatoes for our soup today," Leroy told her as he pulled up a sack up to her.

The crew placed the plank down and they exited the ship, making strides onto the sand. Immediately they were greeted by one of the many woman milling on the sands that had been serving the guests. They wore white togas and their hair was held up in a simple bun. "Hello, travelers. You must be tired. Welcome to Lilith's resorts. We have some rooms you can stay in."

"That's very kind of you, but we are not here to stay. We just need to resupply. So if you could point us to the nearest supply station," Emma said, her hand tightening on her sword handle. Unease crawled under her skin. Something was off about this woman.

"Of course. Anything for weary travelers," the woman said, smiling. She turned stiffly and lead the way. The crew followed and two more toga clad women followed after them, rounding up the back, like they were being herded. Emma and her crew were lead towards a giant white stone and marble structure that had been hidden among the palm trees and brush. It was beautiful and the sun gleamed off of it.

"Why don't you eat and drink something? It would be rude of us not to feed our guests," the woman said, taking them to a long dining room off to the side inside the building. The table there was laid with many exotic foods, familiar deliciously roasted meats, and different types of fruity drinks. Emma's stomach growled loudly. She was very hungry. She had been giving her meal portions to the princess. What would it hurt to eat a little and then have them go get the supplies?

"Very well. If you do not mind," Emma said, sitting down. Her crew sat down as well, Ruby piling on various meats already, Neal reaching for the ale, Sabine slapping his hand and redirecting it to a healthier choice, while August bit into a crisp apple.

The food was good. It was so fresh and juicy and Emma found herself unable to put down her fork until she had finished every single bite. And when she was done, she felt so heavy and tired. Ready to take a nap.

Another woman strode into the room at this. She was wearing a toga too, but she was taller than the other woman servers and her toga was black. Her hair was up but a small laurel rested on her dark black hair. It held red hollyberries.

_Aren't those poisonous_ , Emma tiredly thought. Why would she wear such things?

"I'm so happy to have new guests," the woman smiled. "We pride ourselves on our good service in this resort. Especially for people like you." She strode in front of the sedated and mesmerized crew, all too full to move. She reached across and cupped Neal by the chin. "Yes, you all will do well to my collection." She tilted her head in thought as she looked down at his half lidded eyes.

"You're hot," he mumbled out which made her red lips curl up in a wicked smile.

"And you're green. Oh so green with jealousy. You want someone on this crew, but you can't have them. Even though you've given them up, ruined everything between the two of you. You envy August for his quick ease in talking to her. You wish you could be close to her like that before. But you don't have a right to do that. And so for your envy, you shall be punished."

Next she went to Ruby, cupped her by the chin too, red nails leaving half crescent moon marks. "And you are always needy for more. Needy for people to be by your side. Needy for others coin. More and more and more you want. Never satisfied. You little animal." She tossed Ruby's head away and then went to August.

"And you...hm, you're a hard one to read but don't worry, I'll crack you yet." She gave him an odd look before sliding on down to Emma.

"But it is a good thing you are all here. Each one of your little delicious sins is yours to have and devour. Don't be afraid to let them come out to play. It's what we're all here for," she smiled, flashing sharp teeth and behind her Emma could make out more of the toga women, watching almost hungrily from the shadows of the room.

Something was wrong here. What was this woman doing? But Emma's vision was dimming and she could barely pay attention to the world around her. She just really wanted to put her head down and sleep. She was so tired.

But she knew she should be doing something. Her hand inched to her blade, the effort slow and tedious and hard to do. Her fingers moved like snails.

Focusing on that caused her to miss out on anything else happening and before she knew it the woman was in front of her. "Who are you?" Emma slurred out.

"Oh how rude of me. I didn't introduce myself. You can call me Lilith," the woman said, smiling. "Now, I think it's time for your nap."

And at last Emma's head dropped forward, falling harshly onto the plate in front of her.

* * *

"Where the bloody hell are they!" Leroy growled out, pissed off. He had said the same words that ran through Regina's head for days now but with more curse words. They had been on the ship for two days straight and still no sign of the rest of the crew. None at all. Had something bad happened to them? After all, it didn't take this long to get supplies.

"That's it, I'm getting off this damned boat and I'm going after them." He stopped his angry pacing to load a pistol and tuck it into the waistband of his pants. "Stay here princess. I'll be back before you know it."

But those had been Leroy's words a whole three days ago. Regina was alone on the ship. What had happened to them? What was going on? The people on the shore looked so happy but could that be hiding the true danger of this island? She shook her head. This was her chance. Her chance to be a hero just like in those books she had read. She quickly changed into more suitable clothing and sheathed a sword by her side. She was going to go find the captain and her crew and find out what was going on. Maybe nothing had happened but her mind would only be easy until she saw it with her own eyes.

And she had run out of food and drink. Maybe she could find some on the island.

She exited the ship, wary and on high alert. A woman in a toga came up to her right away.

"So glad you could join us. We have many treats I am sure you will love at our hotel."

Regina shook her head. "I'm not here for vacation but to find my missing friends."

"Oh, I know just where they are. Follow me." The woman turned and Regina went after her, her feeling of unease only doubling. They walked up to a giant building made of gleaming stone, passing by several guests on the way. A familiar blonde head caught her attention but before she could turn to look at it, a hand was clamped around her wrist and tugging her hurriedly up the steps.

"Why don't you refresh yourself first?" the toga woman suggested. "And in the meantime I will ask about your friends whereabouts."

It sat on the tip of Regina's tongue to ask how the woman knew who her friends were. Once Regina would have blanched to ask that but staying with the crew and seeing them speak their mind so easily had loosened her speech. But before she could say anything, the woman was gone, leaving Regina alone.

Regina was hungry. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to fuel her body in order to have more strength to save her friends. But when she picked up one of the apples on the table, she dropped it right away, letting out a gasp of horror. The other half of it was rotten, worms wiggling in it's depths. Regina hurriedly wiped her hand on her shirt and her eyes opened wide when she saw what was on the rest of the table. All of the food was rotten or crawling with bugs. And the carcass of the pig was the most frightening, maggots covering every inch of it making it writhe as if it was alive. She was afraid it would get up and launch right at her, touching her with it's diseased flesh.

She let out a scream and fell onto her behind, scrambling to get away from this horror. She backed up right into a pair of solid legs. Looking up she saw a woman in black with displeased lips looking down at her.

"Hmm, it seems we have a pure one. Lock her up." And two women in white togas showed up behind her and grabbed Regina by the arms.

She struggled in their superhuman hold, kicking and screaming but to no avail. She was dragged down the stairs and to some cells. It was dark and dank here and there were many others also trapped. They looked miserable. Thin and dirty and defeated.

"You don't belong on this island," said one of the toga women.

"But your soul will do nicely to rot here for all eternity for your wretched goodness," spat the other toga woman and then the cell swung open, like a hungry maw waiting to eat Regina. She struggled even more fiercely here, digging her heels in. "No, let me go!" she hollered out.

Suddenly the grasp on her loosened as one woman fell to the floor, a bruise on her head. The other turned around, screeching when a blast rocked her back into the wall, making a hole through her head and a stain on the stone.

Regina raised her hands to defend herself but she should not have worried. "When I saw it was you my heart overjoyed," the man spoke, raising the hood on his face so Regina could see it was August.

"August, you are okay!" she hugged him tightly, happy to see a familiar face. "What is going on? Where is everyone else?"

He pulled from her grip with a grimace on his face. "I fear terrible things have happened. Come, walk with me and I will tell you all I know."

They snuck out and he began his most horrendous story. "When we first got to his island we were tricked into eating the food offered to us."

"But how could you eat it? It is crawling with bugs and rot!" Regina gasped out in shock.

August shuddered her. "I must admit I did not see that. I ate it, we all did, and were pulled under by a sleeping spell. I woke up on the beach, relaxing along with the rest of the crew. But unlike the rest of them I was not so easily swayed. I was able to resist the magic placed on me by this cursed island and when they saw this, saw me trying to help my friends, they tried to lock me up, but I ran away. And I've been on this island, trying to find a way to break the magics that hold everyone captive."

"Magic? That's real?" Regina had only read of it.

"Anything is real in the Bermuda Triangle. And the woman behind all this, Lilith, she tempts guests by driving into their basic desires. By letting them indulge in eating, drinking, and sexual pleasure to their hearts content before even the souls ripened with that sin. Perhaps even worse things. I've been keeping tabs on everyone and we must find them. It seems only those who are pure of soul can resist the magic."

"So that means us," Regina said in conclusion, but with a bit of confusion because she knew August must have killed so how was he an exception? Regardless, she was happy to have his aid for she felt overwhelmed. How was she to help? She didn't know how to fight magic! "But how do we save them?"

"We need to find them and get them back to the ship," August said. "Luckily, I know just where to find them."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Time for Regina to save her dashing captain ;)


	9. Island of Sins Part Two

 

_"So that means us," Regina said in conclusion, but with a bit of confusion because she knew August must have killed so how was he an exception? Regardless, she was happy to have his aid for she felt overwhelmed. How was she to help? She didn't know how to fight magic! "But how do we save them?"_

_"We need to find them and get them back to the ship," August said. "Luckily, I know just where to find them."_

_..._

"Now, when we get to them, keep an open mind," August warned in a whisper as they crawled through some bushes in the nearing dusk. "They're under whatever dark magics of this island and they're not in their right mind."

Regina gulped but nodded her head. She would do her best not to judge them and to keep an open mind to their plight. Surely, if she was in the same position she would want the same courtesy applied to her.

The first crew mate they approached was Sabine, though she was almost unrecognizable with the war paint on her body. It was red, and she was only wearing scraps of clothing, screaming animalistically and waving a sword around. She was standing on top of a rock, an army of twenty behind her. An army of those toga wearing women who were facing off what looked like captured humans- perhaps those held in the dungeons. Pale, skinny, and scared they all were. They were running across the blood slick grass where some bodies lay fallen.

A lump sat in Regina's throat. Was...was Sabine ordering them to be killed?

"Run, you monsters, but we will capture you! We will kill you and keep the people of this town safe!" Sabine hollered out and then pointed her sword at their direction. The toga women raced after them with snarls coming out of their throats. Their eyes were glowing red. Or was that just Regina's eyes playing tricks on her?

She shook her head to focus herself when August clamped a hand on her shoulder. Sabine was still standing on the rock, smiling evilly at the retreating 'monsters'. The woman must be imagining that those humans were beasts and it was her duty to slay them.

"Now's our chance to snag her," August said and they began to creep up behind her. She was too intensely focused on the war and the screams of innocents to notice them. Drawing his sword out, he reached out and using the hilt, whacked her hard on the back of her head. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell into August's waiting hands.

That had been easier than expected. "We need to tie her up and keep her safe somewhere. And then we need to go get the next one," August instructed.

But all the others wouldn't be this easy to get.

Ruby was living out a fantasy where she was with her Granny, living out in a cabin in the woods. The Granny was of course a toga woman using some sort of hallucinatory magic to confuse Ruby's senses. When the woman left to go get something from the back, August and Regina took this chance to sneak in and found the wolf nearly swollen with gluttony. She was eating without pause, dirty dishes surrounding her and stacked in piles. "What the hell happened to you?" August whispered out in horror and Regina felt tears prick in her eyes. This was bad. How would they help Ruby from this situation?

"Ruby? Ruby, can you hear me?" August knelt by her, tying to reason with her. But the woman only growled and kept shoveling food into her face, not even noticing him. The button on her jeans popped as her stomach expanded.

"Something in the food is doing this to her! We need to get her to stop eating. To somehow purge this from her body!" Regina cried out in worry.

"Don't worry, we will. Just not now. We have to move her first," August instructed and was about to draw his sword to knock her out like he had with Sabine when the door slamming closed and getting locked alerted them to the fact that the toga woman, 'Granny' had arrived into the one room cottage.

"Would you look at that. Two meals just arrived for you to eat Ruby," Granny said, and then her fingers turned to claws, needle sharp and three feet long. Black veins spread up and down her face as a forked tongue exited her mouth.

"I think you will do nicely roasted. Or maybe deep fried," she spoke and Regina began to feel panic overwhelm her. Good Gods, what was this thing? Were the monsters in her stories not merely stories?

"Princess, stay back!" August warned, holding his sword out and then charging at the woman.

"Oooo, royal meat? Even better. You hear that Ruby? Get the girl and eat her first!" Granny ordered and the order had magical effect because Ruby stood from her meal, burping loudly and turning to look blankly at Regina. In her hands she held a knife.

"Yummy yummy, come into my tummy," she bellowed out and dove at Regina who let out a shrill scream and pulled out her sword to defend herself. She didn't want to hurt Ruby and the woman sensed this because she was able to slap the quivering weapon in Regina's hands away easily before throwing her weight at the frightened brunette.

Panic and the will to live filled Regina as she hit the wooden floor hard. Ruby tried to force the knife in between Regina's eyes but she wasn't going to die today. She grappled with Ruby's forearms, feeling flattened by the other woman's weight.

"Regina!" August hollered out in concern, ducking a swipe from Granny's claws. "Just hold on!"

His sword rang out against the claws and he swung back and forth with each of her lashes. She was trying to corner him but he wouldn't let it happen. He dealt a heavy blow, knocking her a bit off kilter and cutting one claw off before he went into a roll, coming right up to her stomach and sinking his hard blade into her soft stomach.

She let out an agonized screech that was only magnified when he dug the blade in, standing up and then pulling it out along with a spray of blood and guts. And then he drove his sword up through her chin and finished her off. Her screams stopped and she dropped to the floor once he pulled his blade free.

He turned to Regina who was still struggling. "Hold on!" he called out, wiping the blood spray from his face.

"Hurry!" she called out, losing her grip. Ruby was too strong. Getting frustrated the woman ditched the knife and reached down with her mouth, biting down on Regina's forearm. Regina screamed out in pain and as reflex punched Ruby hard in the face with her free hand.

Her knuckles split on impact but Ruby loosened her hold and August was able to hit her with the butt of his hilt and she passed out, rolling off of Regina who was only too happy to crawl out from there.

"Are you alright?" August asked as the princess cradled her bitten arm. Regina felt like crying but this was no time for tears. They had friends to save.

"I'll be fine," she pulled a sleeve over the angry looking bite marks. She'd get some medicine for it later. She picked up her sword from the floor and sheathed it. "We need to get Ruby out of here."

"I'm going to need your help carrying her. She's a bit heavier than I anticipated," August said and he took her arms and head while Regina took her legs and crab walking they made it out of there and to the safe location they were holding the crew.

Next was Neal.

"I shouldn't be surprised," August sighed out from the bush they were hiding behind. Neal was sitting on the bench and looking at the stars with a toga woman who was currently to Neal, looking like Sabine. "He never was happy with the way he left things."

Regina didn't know the history there and she figured it would be best to ask another time.

They watched in silence as Neal spoke to Sabine.

"Sabine, the stars are beautiful tonight. But not as beautiful as you," he confessed, eyes glimmering with love. "I was upset at the way we left things. But we were both young and made stupid mistakes. That's why, now older and hopefully wiser, we can try again. Will you, let me try again?" he asked, looking hopefully at her.

"Neal, of course. I've loved you all this time," the Sabine copy answered, leaning in for them to share a kiss.

"We need to kill her and grab Neal."

Regina blanched. "Kill her?"

"Did you not see what they are? They're not human and they have no qualms killing us."

"That's right. We don't," said a voice behind them and they turned around to see three more toga women there. How many of them were there?

In a blink of an eye they had turned, black veins, claws and forked tongues. And the one that had been kissing Neal also turned on them. "Stay back, Neal. These sick people are trying to tear our love away."

"I won't let them," he vowed, anger marring his features. He pulled out his cutlass. "I will protect what we have rediscovered."

"Neal, it's us. Regina and August," Regina called out as she and August rose to their feet, blades drawn. Regina held her back to August and he to her too, as their swords went out directly in front of them.

"I know no such people," he spat back.

"He can't recognize us," August clarified. "The only way out of this is to fight, Regina. Don't hold back."

"B-but I can't kill them." She wasn't ready for this.

"Then hurt them till they cannot hurt you," he said and with a shout he sliced his blade through the air and the clang of claws on metal rang through the air. "And don't worry, I've got your back."

She nodded her head, swallowed hard and tried to remember what Emma had taught her about weak spots on a human's body if she didn't want to kill just stun.

And that's what she did.

Honestly, she didn't know how she survived it, but she did. It all passed in a blur of clashing swords and screaming and stumbling under Neal's vicious assault as the toga clad woman cackled and watched Regina flounder under her teammate's charges.

So Regina's plan went from trying to harm to merely surviving and to holding them off long enough until August was done with the three opponents he had. Regina was sweating by the time he joined, and her arms were shaking from exertion as her heart pumped fearfully, body flush with adrenaline. She danced through the grass, keeping light on her toes and dealing blunt blows to joints to crack them.

The toga woman's claws did catch her once or twice across the chest but she barely felt the burn. Neal was the real danger here. She didn't want to hurt him but he had no such qualms about her.

"August!" she called out in worry when he knocked her sword out of her hand and she found herself on her rump, tip of the blade tight against her throat.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Neal," August warned, arm slung around the Sabine person and sword at her neck. "You kill her and I kill Sabine."

Neal swung around on his heel, seething. "Don't you dare!"

This was Regina's chance. Scooping up the sword that had fallen next to her, she stood up and raised it over Neal's head. The hilt cracked him hard and he fell to his knees just as August cut the throat of the woman in his arms. Her blood spilled over his arm and her chest and she coughed pitifully as she died.

"Sabine!" Neal cried out and Regina hit him hard again before he collapsed.

"Not bad, princess. We might make a mighty warrior of you yet," August praised.

"I didn't do much," she shook her head, feeling queasy at the sight of the drying blood on August's clothing. But she did feel a bit proud of herself for being able to successfully fight off Neal and that woman without having to hurt them.

Only two more to rescue.

"Leroy next. And then Emma," August announced grimly and they went off, carting Neal's form between them.

Leroy was lying on his back, boozed up, surrounded by bottles of liquor.

"This will be easy," August said as he grabbed Leroy's arms and Regina grabbed his legs and together they crab walked him out of the spot he had been sleeping in.

The hardest one yet, for Regina, was rescuing Emma.

* * *

Emma was surrounded by beautiful women on all sides, laughing and giggling in the hot natural springs as she told them some funny story of an adventure she had had.

"You are hilarious," giggled one of the woman, hiding her mouth behind her hand.

"And so delicious. I could eat you right up," said another, drawing circles on Emma's chest.

She loved the attention. She hadn't felt this carefree and without worry in years. She took a sip from the drink in her hand. The only thing she wished was that Regina could be here. Here to enjoy this too.

But she had left her on the ship and she was comfortable here on this island. She didn't want to leave it. Even thinking about departing it made her very sad.

The women around her sensed her dropping mood.

"What's wrong brave one?" they tittered.

"I don't ever want to leave this place," she admitted.

"Don't worry," one soothed.

"You can stay here forever and ever," agreed another.

This made Emma feel better and she took a sip from her drink. "I'm happy to hear that," she said and had a woman snuggle up to her under her arm. Cooing praises at her.

A dark cloud of black smoke whirled around not far from the spring and Lilith stepped out from it, eyeing the scene with malicious joy. With a wave of her hand she transformed herself to look like Regina.

Wearing only a thin robe, she began to make her way across the space to the hot spring, shedding it on her way into the water.

As soon as she was submerged up to her chest, Emma's attention went to her, hunger in her eyes. She couldn't take her eyes off of her. "Regina," she breathed out. "I thought you were on the ship?"

"I got bored waiting for you," the princess said, nearing Emma. All the other women had slid away, leaving the two of them together now to have a moment. "And then I come here and see that you're surrounded by all these other women, having fun and leaving me to be bored."

"Regina- I didn't mean to-I'm sorry-" Emma stumbled on her words.

"Then make it up to me," Regina said coyly, batting her eye lashes at Emma.

Regina was behaving a bit...oddly. Since when was the princess so flirtatious?

But it was getting hard to think as Regina pressed closer to her until their mouths were mere inches away. "Make it up to me, Em-ma," she whispered, licking her plump lips.

But why would Regina like women all of a sudden? "I thought you loved dashing men?" she murmured out, her last attempt at trying to delay this.

"I confess I have always admired the fairer sex but I had not confirmed that I found them to be my only tastes until I met you."

Was that true? Emma didn't know. It sounded so convenient. But she had restrained herself around Regina for so long. If the princess gave in, then there was nothing wrong with that, was there?

Emma's eyes lowered to those lips and all she could think of was kissing her. She didn't know why the princess was acting this way but her mind was too foggy to think actively about it and so she let her eyes close and gave into Regina's new behavior.

* * *

There was a sharp stabbing pain next to Regina's heart as she saw Emma, naked, and in the embrace of that evil woman, Lilith.

She wondered why it hurt to look at them. She turned her head to the side, no longer wishing to be privy to such a thing. August was concerned for another reason. "Emma's with the head bitch in charge here. How are we going to extract her?" he mussed, unsure what to do. "I don't want to leave her alone with that bitch but how can we get them apart?"

Getting them apart sounded like an amazing idea to Regina. The quicker the better.

"What about a distraction technique?"

"Good idea. Wait here," he ordered and then snuck off through the shrubbery they were hiding in in order to do the plan.

This left Regina alone, having to watch the captain kissing Lilith. She ground her teeth. She wanted to look away but at the same time she couldn't. And each kiss only made her burn with more and more choler.

She just wished she could hit Lilith upside the head.

As if summoned by her thoughts, a coconut sailed through the air and pegged Lilith in the back of her head. She turned around a furious look on her face. "Who threw that?" she snarled out.

Emma looked dazed, hands reaching for the slim waist. "Babe, come back-"

Another coconut sailed through the air, this time from a different angle and smacking her in her right temple.

"Someone's spying on us!" she growled out, rubbing her hurt flesh.

"Babe-"

But Lilith was striding from the spring, heading for August who had been throwing the coconuts. Lilith stalked into the ferns and Emma was left alone in the spring, frowning and confused by what had happened. This was Regina's chance to get Emma.

"Captain," she inched out from where she had been hiding just so she would be a bit more visible. Emma squinted her eyes at her. "Regina? But didn't you just leave-?" she jerked her thumb in the other direction. Regina dismissed the captain's muddled words.

"There's no time to discuss. Just fetch your clothes and follow me," she urged.

Emma shrugged. "Alright." She waded through the water and Regina averted her gaze respectfully so that Emma could get dressed. Once she had pulled on her pants and a shirt, a shout rang through the air. Regina couldn't tell if it was August or Lilith who had done it.

"What was that?" Emma asked, looking in that direction but Regina had grabbed her by the wrist and was pulling her away. "Quickly."

Regina hoped August would be okay. For now she had to get Emma to safety. "Regina, what's going on? Why aren't we kissing any longer?"

Regina flushed at that. The words were enough to make her stumble in her step. "K-kissing?" what a scandalous thing! "I never kissed you."

Emma tugged on Regina's wrist, slowing her down until they could look at each other. "In the water. You came in, naked, and started to seduce me."

Regina's eyes got round and her cheeks as red as apples. "Se-seduced you?! Emma, what do you take me for!" And why was the captain having visions of her while under the duress of magic?

Emma was only befuddled more by Regina's actions. So it hadn't been her in the water? But it looked like her! No, wait, the Regina in the water had acted oddly. So forward. Regina was a princess. They would never be that forward. A sour taste filled her mouth. So then who had she been kissing?

"Why are you off the ship?" A sense of unease began to permeate Emma's relaxed state of being.

"Because this island is evil and it's hurting you and the crew. And I'm here to help you."

"Emma, what are you doing?" a voice interrupted them and they both turned to see a woman behind them, thankfully now dressed.

"Lilith," Regina uttered out, grabbing her sword and drawing it. Had Lilith hurt August? Was he okay? Where even was he?

"Regina," Emma said at the same time, causing Regina to do a double take.

"Regina? That's not me, Emma."

But Emma was shaking her head, caught between two Regina's. "I can't tell which is which. Both of you look the same."

"But I'm the real one," said Lilith, taking a step closer.

"You stay back," Regina threatened. She raised her sword higher.

"You don't have the guts it takes to run me through," she sneered.

"Emma, I'm the real Regina. You have to know it!" Regina protested, watching the struggle play out on the captain's face.

"Did you, when you kissed upon my lips, not sense how real it all felt. How good it felt?" Lilith's voice was husky, hips swaying as she strode two steps closer to Emma. Emma's mouth was drying out and she could not resist looking at the Regina in front of her. Her body was telling her to go to that one, but something deep inside her told her no, that it wasn't right.

She was torn.

"Emma!" Regina cried out, worried. It was true what Lilith said. She didn't have the courage to kill her if it came to that. So she needed Emma to back away on her own. To resist.

Lilith reached out a loving hand and was about to caress Emma's cheek when a rustle came from the tropical woods around them and Lilith turned to face it only to get a sword to the gut.

August was on the other end of it.

"No!" Emma cried out, reaching out a hand at Regina being run through. But as she watched, the form shimmered in front of her, till it was no longer Regina. "Lilith?" she muttered out, confused. She remembered the woman from somewhere before. But where? Had she slept with her?

Lilith gasped out in pain at the wound and August withdrew the blade to whisk it sharply and quickly across her neck. Blood pulsed out of the wound there and she made a strangled noise as her hands went to her neck. At this point, Regina was no longer as shocked by August's indiscriminate slaying; things were shaping up to be very dangerous. And she was glad someone could protect her from evils like Lilith while they tried to protect the rest of the crew.

"Run!" August hollered out and Regina didn't need to hear that twice. She pulled on Emma's hand to get her running and they didn't stop until they had arrived at the safe house out of breath where everyone else on the crew was, tied up for their own safety.

"What is going on?" Emma asked, not making sense of anything. "Why was Regina not Regina?" She let out a grunt of pain. "And why does my head hurt?"

She gripped it between her hands.

"Don't worry," August assured. "We're going to be leaving and very soon. Just stay put here, Emma," he urged and the blonde captain nodded her head, a pained expression still on her face.

"What do we do now, August?" Regina asked.

"We need to lay low for a little bit. No doubt those dreadful toga women will be on high alert after I just butchered their leader. And then once things quiet down, we'll leave."

* * *

But that simple plan didn't turn out to be so simple. They had planned on sneaking out the crew one by one in the middle of the night after waiting two days for the search parties to die down. Sabine had been the first one they'd taken, leaving Emma to guard the rest. The blonde still wasn't fully herself, having moments where she simply couldn't be bothered by the situation happening. And then other moments of more clarity.

But just as they had successfully snuck their way to the shore with a gagged and bound Sabine held between them, disaster struck.

"What's wrong. What's going on!?" Regina cried in panic as she watched Sabine contort in pain. Blood came pouring from her eyes and she screamed her agony. They dropped her to the sands where she writhed in pain, scratching at her skin. They were afraid to touch her.

A black cloud appeared by them, forming the shape of a woman. It was Lilith. How was still alive? August had cut her throat and speared her gut, injuries she should not survive. She stepped out from the cloud, her robes swishing. "Foolish mortals. No one can leave my island without dying. To take her past the shore would be to kill her."

"Shit!" August cursed, drawing out his sword as Lilith's hands lit up and two fireballs were there. "Regina, run!" he yelled and they both ducked as the fire went flying over their respective heads. Regina took to her heels, running and not looking back. Lilith's laugh cackled, following them in the chilly night air.

"You'll never leave!" she promised and those words only made Regina want to fight harder.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hold onto your hats because this is the part of the story where things are going to get more complicated.


	10. Pure of Soul Must Go

_A black cloud appeared by them. It was Lilith. How was still alive? August had cut her throat and speared her gut, injuries she should not survive. She stepped out from it, her robes swishing. "Foolish mortals. No one can leave my island without dying. To take her past the shore would be to kill her."_

_"Shit!" August cursed, drawing out his sword as Lilith's hands lit up and two fireballs were there. "Regina, run!" he yelled and they both ducked as the fire went flying over their respective heads. Regina took to her heels, running and not looking back. Lilith's laugh cackled, following them in the chilly night air._

_"You'll never leave!" she promised and those words only made Regina want to fight harder._

…

She and August regrouped later, the man telling her they needed to retreat to the jungles for now to plan a course of battle.

The jungles were hot and dark and they contained their own dangers. No doubt foul creatures that wanted to eat them up. But with August by her side Regina felt more at ease; besides none could be more foul and unsavory than that Lilith woman. The duo made it to a safer part, noticing that there seemed to be a man made hut there of dead branches and foliage.

Before they could even wonder who had built it, a woman appeared. Her hair was messy, bits of leaf in it, and her clothing consisted of one shift, crudely made and dirty. In her hand she clutched a knife fashioned from stone. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Did Lilith send you?"

"We mean you no harm, we promise," August said, lifting his hands up to show his intentions. "We are merely running from the woman who commands this island."

The woman looked them over, debating if she could trust them. "So, Lilith has failed to enchant you too?" she asked when she deduced they could be trusted.

"Lilith, is that the dark haired woman who wears a crown of holly-berries?" Regina asked.

The woman nodded her head. "That's her. She enchants others and corrupts their souls before she eats them up. But, she can't corrupt those pure of heart and so she imprisons those to be killed for sport."

"How do we fight against her?" August asked. "Because she has stolen our crew and we want to get them back and escape this island."

The woman shrugged. "I'm not sure. All I've been focusing on is staying alive on this island. I tried many times to save my friends too but atlas it's never been enough. Because there's only one of me."

"But maybe now that there are more of us, we should band together and save them all," August said with a determined nod of his head.

The jungle woman's eyes gleamed at this, finding a new spark of hope to keep her going. "I think perhaps we might have a chance." She nodded her head briskly. "A slim chance, yes, but I am sick to death of this island and I can't leave it unless she's dead. So let us make plans."

She invited the two worn travelers to her hut where they sat down by an earthen table.

"Tell us everything you know," August pressed, both of them worried that they had left Sabine on the beach, but neither having a choice. They were both tired, thirsty and a sweaty mess from rushing deep into the jungle to avoid danger.

The toga women hadn't followed them in, seemingly having no interest in such a place.

The jungle woman nodded her head. "My name is Jacinda. I came here by accident. My father and I went out fishing one day when we got lost in pursuit of a giant school of fish. Our small fishing boat was taken in by a storm but by some miracle we survived. We were able to land on this island, thinking we could perhaps find someone to help us get back home. But, atlas it was not to be. My father was sucked in by the evil witch named Lilith and I ran away because she couldn't corrupt me. I think it was because I was but merely fourteen years old and too childlike to be affected and now I have been here for twenty years, biding my time and failing to rescue my father." Old hurt shone in her eyes.

"And we will help you get your father back," Regina swore, touched by the story. "I too have been separated from my family and I miss them so. But I know I will be able to come back to them when it is safe." She reached out to touch the woman's hand in solidarity. Jacinda smiled back weakly at this.

August shot Regina a mildly guilty look at this but quickly dismissed it. "You said you have made many attempts on her life. What sort? We need to find her weaknesses."

Jacinda shook her head in an uncertain manner. "The only weakness I know is that she does not like those of pure soul. It is almost as if...they can hurt her. The reason I was able to live for so long is because none of them could physically harm me despite how much they wanted to."

That was an interesting tidbit of news. "So, if we all attack her she can die?"

Jacinda shook her head no. "It's not as simple as that. While we can hurt her, she won't die, even if she is killed. Which leads me to believe that she would need to actually consume a pure soul in order for her to die."

Heavy silence at this as they let this all sink in. August was the first to speak, because Regina was too horrified by the implications of this. "So...one of us would have to die and trick her into eating our soul for this to work?"

Jacinda nodded her head. "Yes, I'm afraid so. Lilith was never worried because there was only one of me and the rest were imprisoned...but now with you two on the loose, she might actually be fearful of her life."

This was a heavy decision to make. One Regina wasn't sure she was ready for the ramifications for. But atlas, had she not wanted to be a hero? They made sacrifices like this all the time.

And yet, would it be selfish of Regina to not wish to have to die for the sake of others? She didn't want August to make such a hasty choice either.

"Let us revisit this idea at a later time. For now, can we rest?" August asked.

"Of course," Jacinda nodded her head. "I don't have much to offer you in ways of a bed, but I have some spare blankets. The nights get a bit chilly here."

* * *

It took a while for Regina to fall asleep, plagued by the idea of one of them having to lose their soul to destroy Lilith. Or if not using one of their own souls, than having to use someone elses. She tossed and turned on the cold hard floor. August had no such qualms and was sleeping not far from her, his back rising up and down gently.

She wished she could sleep, because she would need her strengths tomorrow. But so many thoughts filled her mind. For example, what had the captain being gone on about when she mentioned kissing Regina? Had Lilith enchanted herself to look like Regina, and for what purposes? It did not make an iota of sense. Why would the captain's fantasy on this island be involving her?

Regina wanted answers, but she knew she was too cowardly on this matter to ask. She did not want to drive another wedge between her and Emma.

Sighing miserably, she tossed and turned some more, desperately trying to not think of anything until finally, she fell into a light slumber.

She hadn't been asleep for long when she found she couldn't breathe. Her eyes flung open and her hands came to those wrapped around her throat. Jacinda was straddling her waist, face hidden by the mess of her hair.

Regina struggled under her, trying to buck her off as she tried to draw air in but couldn't. The hands on her throat were too strong, crushing her windpipe. She tried to claw at Jacinda's face then, but she was out of reach and Regina was beginning to run out of time. She scratched at Jacinda's hands, kicking her feet uselessly.

Her eyes were tearing up. Where was August?! She wanted to cry out for his help. She dropped one hand to claw at the dirt, hopping maybe she could find something to use to hit Jacinda with.

"I'm going to use your soul," the woman whispered. "Going to use it to free me and my dad from this island."

Regina's eyes were losing focus. She couldn't believe this would be how she perished. Having faced monsters only to die at a human's hand. There was a loud crack and then Jacinda yelped as she slumped off of Regina's body and fell to the floor.

Regina immediately gasped and sat up, greedily sucking in air. August was by her side, dropping the rock he had used to split Jacinda's head. "Are you okay?" he asked delicately, crouching next to her and offering her a drink from his canteen. She gulped it down, her throat hurting with each sip. Tears slipped free from her eyes.

"I was so scared. I thought...I thought..."

He pulled her into a hug. "It is alright now. It is alright," he soothed as she cried into his jacket, broken little sobs. He held her for as long as was needed, until finally she calmed down.

"She said she was going to use my soul," Regina confessed when her tears had dried tracks down her face.

"Well, the tables have turned and now it will be us using her soul for daring to do such a thing to you!" he exclaimed angrily. "Foul woman," he spat on her prone form for good measure. She hadn't stirred since August knocked her upside the head and there was a small trickle of blood oozing around her.

"No," Regina shook her head. "We cannot use her soul."

"Why not?"

"It would be wrong to do so."

August looked at her in shock. "Wrong to do so...? Why, she tried to do the same to you!"

"Yes," Regina whispered. "But we don't have to be like her. We can be better than that."

August shook his head in disbelief. "I cannot...you are too good princess. Others won't extend the courtesy to you."

"I know she did a wrong thing but I am sure she was desperate to save her father. I will...I will forgive her for what she did." It took a lot for Regina to say this because she had been truly frightened of the whole incident but she could understand that Jacinda might have been driven to such cruel measures because of desperation. But she and August didn't have to.

"So then what do we do?" he asked, getting up from the position of cradling Regina and prodded Jacinda with his foot. She moaned, so she was still alive. He would tie her up so she couldn't come after them.

"There's a whole prison full of those people. People of pure soul. Why not free them? It seems like Lilith could be scared of them. With us all fighting together against her, we might have a chance," Regina stated. Her voice was still a bit croaky and she was going to have marks on her throat later, but for now they had bigger worries.

August gave a tired sigh. "I suppose that could work. At least we would have more people to aid us." He dusted off his pants, put his hands on his hips. "We start our plan today. But first, we must find the storage room where the women put all our weapons so we may pass them out to the prisoners to use."

* * *

Freeing the prisoners sounded easier in theory, but it was not. Regina and August had to sneak back into the little resort and keep to the shadows or else risk losing their lives. The toga women were on the prowl everywhere and the duo had to change routes and hold breaths and even slip into a fountain to avoid getting spotted.

But at last they made it into the prisons. This was only the second part of the plan. The first part had been that they had snuck into the storage room where all the weapons were and taken them and buried them out behind the resort, not too far away.

Still, they both knew that with a giant group of prisoners there is no way they can all sneak there, so they will have to charge over there and hope for the best.

August took out the two toga woman guarding the prison and snagged their keys so they could come in. Tossing a pair to her, they began to unlock the cages as quickly as possible. The occupants came out, confused and sleepy, some limping and some slowly, looking all starved, dirty, and confused.

They gathered in the hallway not sure of what to do. When the last one had been freed, August stood in the middle of them, raising his voice. "I know not all of you will understand me, but I hope you will aid me in taking down the women who run this island. We will fight back for our freedom, for the pain they have caused us!" he roared out. "The two of us will lead the charge with the weapons we have spirited away. We have a plan but we can only do it if you help us!"

A few grunts of solidarity came from the crowd. "Those bitches have kept us here for too long," said one.

"I'll personally kill Lilith myself!" growled another.

It was decided. August nodded his head. "Looks like your little plan might work," he said to Regina.

But the little plan soon turned into a bloodbath and Regina's joy at being able to scrape together an army turned to horror at the scenes around her. Blood, guts, limbs. And lives being lost as the toga women descended like hungry vultures upon the pack of pure souled people. For the toga minions were not afraid of them and Lilith was nowhere in sight. At this rate, the army would be slaughtered before they could even find her.

Regina stood, at ends, clutching her cutlass and being of not much use on the field. A man dropped to his knees not far from her and she rushed over to him, wondering if she could help stop this. Help to stop the slaughter.

The man was dying. Regina had seen so much death already, but it was always at a distance and not as her fault. And here he was, dying right by her side. She knelt next to him as prisoners grunted and screamed, raising a blade against those toga women. The grass was slick with blood and more was pouring out of his wound. She tried to cover it with her hand. Tried to make it stop. But she couldn't. It was too late. He was choking on his own blood.

As she watched with horrified eyes, his own rolled back until the whites showed and then he was gone. Stopping in his struggling. Had she done the wrong thing? Had she sent others to die? But she and August had faced the toga women and had been okay! Was she wrong in assuming that the prisoners would be fine against the onslaught of women too?

Guilt ate at her. No. She had been too naive. She hadn't been able to envision the fact that these prisoners might actually not know how to wield a blade. That they might actually fall to those vicious claws.

She couldn't allow this to keep happening. August must have known this would happen but hadn't cared. He was a callous man, after all. But  _she_  cared, however. She would not have blood on her hands. She would not have innocents die. But as she determined this a pure white ball of light slowly drifted up from the man's chest. It lifted up and her eyes went wide.

A soul. His pure soul.

Lilith was afraid of those.

Maybe...just maybe.

Regina cupped her hands around it and it felt fuzzy and warm. She got up and looked at the mess of the battlefield. Corpses laid out on the grass. The prisoners were losing but too angry at being locked up for decades to back down now.

A couple of the toga women were down for the count too, and Regina edged towards one of them, checking to see how clean the outfit was.

* * *

Regina felt itchy in the robes she had procured. She didn't know if it was the fabric or because it had come off of a dead woman. But Regina had seen a window of opportunity and she had taken it, not telling August anything. He was in the thick of things right now and could not be bothered.

Regina's heart was beating loudly as she walked down the halls, searching for Lilith. She had no idea where the woman was or what she could be doing. But Regina had to find her and get her to somehow ingest the pure soul. But how? She hadn't thought much of this plan through. Perhaps she should turn back and-

"You, come with me," a commanding voice snapped out and Regina jumped, seeing it was Lilith who had said this.

Regina's heart tripled in speed and she almost considered bolting out of there. Would Lilith recognize her?

But the woman didn't even stop to look at her face; she was breezing past her and Regina followed to the room where Lilith was heading, a thousand fears going through her head. Could she even pull this off?

She had to. So many lives depended on her doing this.

While a war was going out there, with innocent lives being lost, Lilith had decided it was appropriate to take a luxurious bath. And she selected Regina to help her with it. Which was good, because it was what Regina wanted- to be able to get closer to her. But also bad, because Regina would be alone if anything happened, and because she had no desire to touch the vile woman.

The bath house was splendid, made of rose pink quartz everything and styled a bit like a Greek bath house. In fact, this whole island was designed in such architecture and it made Regina wonder just how long Lilith and her minions had been around because from the sight of the people on the islands, they had seemed to come here from many different lands and times.

She shuffled in after Lilith, head demurred so the wicked woman wouldn't see her face and notice it. Lilith stood in front of the bath, removing her holly-berry crown and her outer robe, allowing Regina to place them in their correct spot before she stepped into the water, Regina averting her gaze.

"Wash my back and then do my hair," she ordered, sinking into the warm and pleasant smelling depths. Regina swallowed nervously, but did as asked, trying to control the shaking in her hands. Now was her chance. Her one chance to stop Lilith. The warm pure soul hovered around in Regina's robe front and she awaited to use it eagerly.

There was silence, except for the splashing of water. Regina spoke up hesitantly. "Are you not worried?"

Lilith scoffed, back turned to Regina. "Worried of what?"

"Of the army at your doorstep?"

"They are merely pests. I have no need to be worried," she replied loftily before commanding, "go lower." Regina scrubbed her lower back more.

"Do you think the pests have a chance?" she asked cautiously, hoping she was not pushing with the questions. She needed Lilith to open her mouth more. It would be best to make her laugh...but Regina was no jester, so how would she manage this?

"They have no chance of succeeding. They are merely being an inconvenience to me." Luckily, Lilith began to laugh heartily and as she did so, throwing her head back, eyes closed, Regina dug into her toga and pulled out the small ball of white light there. Pushing aside any last minute reservations, she clamped her hand over Lilith's mouth and shoved the ball in. Lilith's eyes went comically wide as she inhaled and began to choke a bit. She pried Regina's hand off of her mouth and got up out of the tub, clutching her throat. Regina could see as the sphere of light traveled through Lilith's body, down to her stomach.

"No..." Lilith looked stricken with fear. "Do you have any idea what you've done!" Her eyes raked over to Regina, recognizing her now.

"Yes," Regina said bravely even as her chin trembled and she worried that Lilith would launch at her. Her form was contorting, turning from anger. Black scales covered her skin, long claws protruded from her hands. "I've defeated you."

Lilith let out a scream of pure fury and reached out to get Regina but she was too late. The pure soul was having it's toll on her and her body snapped right and then left before her hands went to her stomach and she exploded outwards, showering Regina and the whole room with her innards.

The bath water was a foamy pink and Regina let out shuddering breaths as she could feel the hot squishy remains on her body, slowly dripping off, blood getting into her mouth and eyes.

"Oh," she moaned out weakly and leaned over to retch.

* * *

By the time she had managed to scrap together some dignity and get clean of all the remains of Lilith on her, while sobbing effusively and hating the red that went under her nails, the outside of the island had changed. Whatever magic had been put in place by Lilith was gone. All the toga women were melting and the prisoners were reuniting with their lost family, friends, or crew.

Regina stumbled in a daze, feeling lost and sickened by what had happened.

August was the first to find her. He was covered in blood and it made Regina sick to see the image, reminding her all too well of what she had done. She dropped to her knees and August rushed to her side, patting her back as she let it all out again.

"Regina, we did it. We saved the island. I don't know how." He told her when she finished, getting up to her feet.

"I had to...I had to do it," Regina confessed in a weak shaking voice, wiping the back of her hands against her mouth. She couldn't look him in his eyes for shame of what she had done.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, helping her up. She couldn't look at him either because of the blood.

"A man died on the field. And his soul came out, strangely enough. So I took it, remembering what Jacinda said about pure souls. And I gave it to Lilith to eat and she...and she..." Regina wobbled again, tears flooding her eyes.

"Let's get you to sit somewhere," August said in concern. "And you need some rum."

"I don't need that. I need...I need it to go away," she whispered harshly, hot tears pouring down her cheeks. She wanted the memories of that to all go away. But they wouldn't. And she'd have to live with them forever.

August didn't want to leave Regina but he needed to get the rest of the crew together. Had to find them and get them off this island. And then he could unpack everything that had happened with Regina.

"Don't say that. You saved us all, truly," he offered her, because it was all this moment would allow. He didn't have time for a wallowing and grieving princess. She was grieving over the wrong thing.

Some strong rum would make everything better.

But before he could take another step from the bench he had sat her on, the ground began to shake. Buildings began to turn to dust around them, and people started letting out wild shrieks. Now what was going on?

Regina glanced at August in alarm, who took her by the upper arm. "We have to go," he insisted and they ran, joining the evacuating crowd as dust and rubble rained down. August held out an arm over the princess's head. She was too precious to have hurt.

They made it down to the shore and onto their boat, watching from there as the island buildings finished collapsing. "Do you think the crew is safe?" Regina voiced, worrying. The whole island had been destroyed and she hated to think about them being covered in all that debris, trapped and mewling for help.

"Even if they are buried beneath the rubble, we'll dig them out," August promised. "Brick by brick."

"That's certainly sweet," a voice said behind them and they swirled in the dark. Captain Swan raised the lit lantern in her hand and they melted in relief. They had been worried it would yet again be another enemy to fight.

"It worked!" Regina exclaimed. "The curse has been broken." She rushed into Emma's arms, hugging her with all her might. Emma returned the hug, though feeling a bit guilty because of what the island had made her fantasize about Regina.

When Regina let go, August approached and Emma clasped hands with him. "Thank you. For all you've done and for taking care of Regina."

August laughed. "Ay, she could take care of herself. She was a tough lassie."

"The others wills be up soon. They are stacking up the supplies we stole."

"First thing you do when the curse drops is loot. How am I not surprised," he grinned widely.

"Well, I certainly wasn't going to stay on that island any longer," Emma said.

"Shall we set sail?" August asked.

"Not yet. Let us see if we can get any more loot," Emma said as Ruby, Sabine, came up from below deck and Regina rushed to hug them as well. Overjoyed to see they were all safe from harm.

But, Regina's joy at their safety would be temped down later by the horrendous images and gravity of what she had done. She'd lead prisoners to their death in fighting the toga women and she'd killed Lilith herself in such a gruesome fashion. She hadn't expected it would end like that.

And so she retreated to below deck, wallowing in her misery. Emma followed shortly after her, because August had divulged to her what had happened and she immediately grew concerned for the princess. That was something she hadn't wished upon her and now she was worried that maybe taking the princess on such a trip had been a terrible idea. They should have just stayed in a inland hide out and waited there.

"I killed a woman," Regina weakly muttered, when Emma came to see her. Knees to her chest, arms wrapped around them and a thick blanket over her shivering form. She felt ill, shaking all over. And she couldn't sleep, dark bags under her haunted looking eyes.

"Regina..." Emma softly started, kneeling in front of her. "You did no such thing. You killed a monster. One whose killed thousands of people and felt not an ounce of regret for it. You did the right thing destroying her and saving all those people. Do not feel badly for this," she urged, hating to see the princess looking so broken.

Regina shook her head. "I know she was evil. I know she did terrible things. But...she died so gruesomely. I can still taste her blood in my mouth. Still feel the splatter of her guts on me." She shivered, repulsed. "It was horrible," she finished quietly.

Emma didn't know what to say to this; nothing could take away the fact that Lilith had gone out in such a gruesome manner. She supposed the best thing would be time. Time to heal Regina's memories from such a matter.

"There is no use thinking about such a thing. It will only make you ill. Come, allow me to distract you from such a thing. I believe I have a wondrous sight to show you." Emma held out her hand and waited patiently for Regina to take it. Once she did, she was pulled up to her feet, the blanket slipping off of her.

Emma lead the way inland where she had sent Ruby and Sabine to to get more supplies from the ruined buildings and along the way, Ruby had seen this and told Emma of it.

"This pool is beautiful," Regina gushed as she looked it over. Some of her melancholy seemed to fade at this as she gazed at the inky liquid, alive with bright specks of light. It was like the sky had melted onto the earth and was captured by the water here.

"From the destruction of evil, such wonder can appear," Emma said. "I know I cannot take away what happened to you. There is no way to make it better. But, I just want you to remember this: you did the right thing today. You behaved like a true hero. And while sometimes a hero must face terrible perils and hard decisions to make, you made the best choice and saved a lot of people. Without your help, we could have all been cursed here for another eternity."

Listening to Emma speak did make Regina feel a bit better. Now, it would only be a matter of time until she could truly forget this horrible incident.

"Let's sail away from here," Regina said, because she wanted to leave the terrible memories behind.

Emma couldn't agree more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm going to go on hiatus so that I can catch up and write the romantic chapters of this story. I'll be posting them up as soon as I'm done. If there's no update in two months, come remind me so I can kick my butt into gear.


	11. Moon and the Sea

_"This pool is beautiful," Regina gushed as she looked it over. Some of her melancholy seemed to fade at this as she gazed at the inky liquid, alive with bright specks of light. It was like the sky had melted onto the earth and was captured by the water here._

_"From the destruction of evil, such wonder can appear," Emma said. "I know I cannot take away what happened to you. There is no way to make it better. But, I just want you to remember this: you did the right thing today. You behaved like a true hero. And while sometimes a hero must face terrible perils and hard decisions to make, you made the best choice and saved a lot of people. Without your help, we could have all been cursed here for another eternity."_

_Listening to Emma speak did make Regina feel a bit better. Now, it would only be a matter of time until she could truly forget this horrible incident._

_"Let's sail away from here," Regina said, because she wanted to leave the terrible memories behind._

_Emma couldn't agree more._

_..._

"Fuck!" Emma swore loudly and Regina flushed at hearing the swear. She knew the outside world swore a lot, most of it so vulgar and colorful that it made Regina feel like less of a lady to have heard it, her ears burning a bright red. But she had never heard Emma swear around her and not quite so loudly.

Yet, it was warranted in this case, as Emma grasped at her neck where a long dart was sticking out of, and then she was falling to the ground like a log. She was now face to face with Regina who too was immobilized.

Things were not looking good for the crew. They never should have stepped foot on this island. But their supplies had run out after two months of aimless sailing on the seas and they needed to stop somewhere. This island had been the first one they had spotted and they had stopped at it, going deep into the jungles in exploration, before being surrounded on all sides by men carrying spears and spattered in mud and blood paint. Fighting them off would have been no issue, had they not used a sneaky tactic like the darts.

Now, the whole crew was down for the count and being lifted up by these mysterious men and carted away to who knows where.

"I am so sorry, princess," Emma whispered to her, eyes frightened and angry as she helplessly watched Regina being picked up and carried away. "It's not your fault," Regina assured her, losing sight of the captain as they were separated. Whatever was in those darts made Regina sleepy. A sleepiness she was unable to fight. To her own horror, her eyes closed and she was uncertain if they would ever open again.

When she came to she was in a dark place, lying on a dry mat. Her head pounded and her mouth was dry from the affects of whatever it was she had had been hit with. She let out a groan as she sat up, trying to get a bearing on her situation. As soon as they saw that, the man who had been watching her sleep, came over with a flask and shoved it into her face.

At first she thought it water and took great greedy gulps. But when the taste hit her taste buds, she nearly sputtered it all out, wanting to spit it out. It was horrid!

But he forced her to keep drinking as much of it down as she could before she moved her head away, too weak to actually stop his actions. Maybe it was a counter potion to whatever it was was in the darts, because she felt a bit stronger now. Could feel a heat coursing down to her stomach and then spreading out.

She looked around her, trying to see where she was and if she could get out of here, but before she could, she was roughly jerked up by the arm by that same man, and tugged out.

"Stop," she tried to fight him, but her limbs felt sluggish and weak and she wasn't even sure she could walk to wherever it was he wanted her to go to. She tried to tug free but he was too strong for her. He lead her out of what appeared to be a small cave and out into the open where the bright light of torches affected her vision and made her wince. It was loud out here, the chatter of this people filling the air. More strength began to flood Regina's body now and she was able to step more easily. This gave her hope, that perhaps she could try to run. She scanned the crowd to see if she would notice anyone. If perhaps the crew were here as well. Her eyes caught a flash of blonde and she felt relief hit her. It was Emma.

Emma was here too, and being dragged towards the center of the crowd where a clearing had been made for whatever reason.

Emma and Regina were then pushed into the sand circle where a mighty fire was blazing in the pit, burning incense of a sweet and smoky variety. All around them stood people of the tribe, watching silently as the two women uncomfortably adjusted their clothes, looking for means of escape.

They were dressed in attire that did not match the crude nature of the tribes. Emma was wearing tight black pants made of leather in a fishnet design and on top she wore a white collared shirt with blue ink depicting scenes of waves, on top of it lay several necklaces of coach shells, cow beads, clams, lobster claws and even dried seaweed.

Her hair had been braided down her back and plaited with fresh kelp and tiny pink shells. Her face was caked with a mixture of sand and blue ink that swirled around her face like water streaming. On her bare ankles were beads that jingled when she moved as well as some were slung around her wrists.

Regina too wore a get up and hers was white and billowy, made almost from a satin like material that moved with the slightest motion. Her face was left bare, with only her lips caked in white powder and a single red dot on her forehead. Her black hair had been swept up into a bun that was held by two blades, little white milky pearls woven into her hair making it look like rain had fallen and crystallized there. She wore no jewelry or beads except the one necklace that hung from her neck. It was the shape of a crescent moon.

"What's going on?" Regina asked, her eyes wide like the moon in fear.

"I do not know. And I don't know where everyone else is." The crowd was devoid of familiar faces. They all looked menacing thanks to the red paint on their faces and the shadows flickering off of their angles.

A loud call went out and suddenly some drums started playing. They had a slow steady pace that sent shivers down Emma's back. "This cannot be good," she murmured out as her body slowly began to twitch. The potion she had been force fed before being put here was reacting to the music. She could tell because she could feel it coursing through her veins, heating up her body. So it was effecting Regina too.

She watched her hands and legs in horror as they seemed to awaken, coming from a long slumber. They shook out and then began to move in time to the rhythm.

"Emma!" she called out as she stomped through the sand. She tried to resist but it only brought her pain to do so, tears coming to her eyes.

"Regina, try to stay calm. Whatever this is, has to pass. We just have to ride it out,"she shouted back as their moves began to take on more complexity. Both of them had started out dancing in the same fashion, with strong harsh movements that stamped onto the earth and led to them lowering and raising their upper bodies as their arms swept through the sand and them up, kicking it around. The incense around them got heavier and began to make Emma's head dizzy. Make it feel light and heavy at the same time.

And still her body moved on, full of energy.

To their right a man had emerged, dressed like a chieftain, with his skins piled on him even in the heat of this night. He had a staff he raised up high as he began to say something.

"This is the night we have waited for for thousands of years. The night that has been foretold in the very stars and earth." Emma had no idea what he was talking about, for he spoke in a language she did not know.

But whatever it was, did not sound good. She could just tell.

"Our gods have blessed up with the embodiment of the moon and the sea in these two women. And with the ritualistic dance we shall at last use their magic to finally awaken He Who Slumbers and send him upon the world to purge it of it's evils."

The crowd let out an aggressive ascent to that. "Ha! Ha!" they pounded their chests.

"And now, let the two powers pull and push each other like the rising tide. Let them cycle around each other and awaken the beast!"

The drums speed up and more basic instruments that Emma didn't recognize joined in. Their bodies began to move differently now. Emma found herself on her knees, waving her arms around her, imitating a leaving and coming wave, her body bending over backwards so far she feared her spine would snap before she bent the other way and brushed the sand with her nose.

Regina circled around her as she did this, her dress billowing around her and she did spins, her arms out and her eyes closed with her head thrown back as she spun and spun, lost to the world around her.

The men and women began to stamp their wooden spears into the ground. Some of the men were also chanting and Emma could feel something pulling in her blood, bending her, controlling her. Telling her to get closer to Regina who was circling ever closer to her. Like she was out of control. Like she couldn't stop.

Emma grabbed into the sand and threw up a huge cloud into the air before she rose to her feet and rushed to Regina who had stopped spinning now. The two of them stood chest to chest, breathing hard as they began to move closer and farther away, their torsos undulating.

Emma could see some sort of energy radiating off of their skins but she had no idea why this was happening.

All she knew was she had to finish this dance. This ritual.

Around them the island was beginning to shake, trees groaning and falling down. The closed tomb they were dancing in front of began to glow, the hieroglyphs on the side shining a bright yellow.

Something was happening. Something evil.

"It is working!" Hollered the chieftain in happiness. "The sea slakes the thirst of the beast and fills him with knowledge of what has transpired in the world. The tides bring him the secrets and truths. And the moon guides his path with it's light and enlightens him to see who is good and who is not."

Regina and Emma finally stopped dancing, collapsing to the floor as they suddenly felt enervated. Like the very life had been sucked out through them.

Their limbs sunk like rocks and sweat clung to their skin.

"Bring out the sacrifices!"

Neal, Leroy, Sabine and Ruby were dragged out by men. They were bound and gagged. They were held out as the entrance to the sealed tomb opened up. The smell that came from inside was that of a thousand dead things. It made Emma want to gag and her eyes watered.

Two bright red eyes shone from the darkness, and then slowly by slowly a beast emerged. It was a cross between a salamander and bird. Skin scaly but in patches covered in feathers. It had wings too and six pairs of legs with a long thin body and tail. It's mouth was shaped like a beak but inside it were sharp teeth. In other words, disgusting.

"What is that?" Regina asked in horror, shaking.

"Something we need to kill," Emma said, already struggling to her feet. Wait, where was August? He wasn't with the rest!

"Captain!" was cried out and she turned her head to see he was on a galloping horse racing towards them. The men making up the circle turned to him with their spears but they were too late. He had jumped over them before landing safely on the other side. Quickly thinking Emma scooped Regina up over her shoulder, the princess too tired to even let out a squeak of indignation, and as August rode by, his hand held out she grabbed onto it and pulled herself up.

"What's going on August?"

"I managed to free myself but I couldn't get to everyone else before they took them. I think they're going to feed them to the giant beast."

"Not on my watch," Emma promised and where her body had been tired before, rage suffused the bones and limbs that made her wary.

"Thought you might say that. I brought your sword." He grinned widely and spurred the horse on faster, so they could reach the beast on time.

She pulled it out from where it lay strapped to the side. On it reflected her determined and grim face as they raced towards the beast. The men holding her friends captive stayed there, holding them still as the beast made it's way closer. It was so tall it reached the trees halfway and when it opened it's mouth it revealed rows of gleaming teeth.

"Regina, you focus on freeing the others and me and August will take on this beast," Emma ordered.

"I don't know if I can," Regina admitted fearfully. "I'm so tired-"

"You must."

Regina snapped her mouth shut and quit her whining. Emma was right. Heroes always fought on the last reserves of their strengths.

She drew out the other sword strapped to the horse saddle and dropped down to the ground when the horse came to a stop, a mere few feet away from the beast. She raced towards her captive crew mates, sword out. While still tired, she could feel her adrenaline kicking in, motivating her forwards. The two men with spears there, turned to her and with angry cries tried to ward her off.

Employing everything Emma had taught her, Regina deflected their blows, spinning around, ducking, and delivering her own blows. Behind her she could make out the monstrous screams of the beast and Emma and August's combined cries.

"Come hither, beast, to your own doom!" August snarled out. Regina didn't dare look back, fearing that if she lost focus now, she'd get hurt.

"Knock them to the ground!" Leroy cried out, encouraging her. And ducking under the spear of one islander, he was left defenseless and primed for her to knock him down with the blunt end of her sword to his head and a swift kick to his groin.

The second went down not long after, and not too soon. The beast behind them roared ever more frightfully and Regina heard Emma curse loudly. Regina took to quickly cutting the ties on her crew mates and Ruby and Sabine sprang for the discarded spears, holding them.

"No fair, I wanted that spear," Neal complained.

"Should have grabbed it faster," Sabine retorted.

"Oi, we're all good!" Leroy called out to the captain. "Let's get the hell out of here!"

"I don't think they'll be too happy with us leaving," Ruby reported grimly when she turned and saw that the crew was stuck between the beast and an angry mob of islanders coming at them.

"Get under the beast!" Emma cried out, avoiding the swipe of it's claw just by an inch.

"Are you insane!" Sabine called out.

"Just a little," Emma retorted and then tuck and rolled under the beast's belly, which the beast could not reach.

"Shit, she really did that," Leroy grumbled out and winced a second later when a dart hit him square in his thick neck. "Shit, the islanders are shooting their little darts again." He pulled it out and then they all bolted towards the beast.

"I'll distract him, go!" August said, waving his sword to the side and making the beast turn sideways, so the crew wouldn't have to slide under it's mouth to get out on the other side. With a run, they all went one by one, finding Emma on the other side, helping them up.

"What about August?" Regina fretted as she got up, her thighs raw from sliding on the rough ground.

"He'll be fine," Emma said confidently, but there was no missing the hint of worry on her face.

By now the islanders had pulled up to the beast, gathering it's attention and not in a good way. It hissed and turned on them, August jumping out of the way and rushing around it. The beast screamed at the islanders who held no fear of it. The leader stood in front, arms outstretched.

"We are the ones who have awakened you. Come, into our world and-"

The beast snatched up the man and ate him in one gulp. Now the islanders began to fear. Half of them screamed and ran and the other half ran at it, spears pointed.

"Let's go," August hissed when he regrouped to the crew.

"Not yet," Emma raised a placating hand. "Let's grab some loot first."

And so, while the beast turned on the islanders, the crew snuck back to the village and hastily grabbed any supplies they could carry, a feeling of urgency to it, because not far away they could hear the tortured cries of the islanders as they were devoured. Regina noticed Leroy was looking a bit green around the gills. "Leroy, are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine..." he trailed off, shrugging it off and trying to haul up some loot. But it dropped from his hands and then he dropped to the ground. Instantly Emma was on him, tending to him. "Leroy, what's wrong. Talk to me."

"I dunno," he sighed, looking so heavy. His skin was cold to the touch. Emma turned his neck and saw where the dart had entered it was blackish. "Shit," she cursed. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I figured it...wasn't...anything," he mumbled, eyes drifting shut.

"Leroy!" she screamed out as all of them stood frozen, unsure what to do, made statues by horror. "Leroy!" she screamed again, but his eyes did not open.

* * *

The beach was painted in red as the sun rose over the dark that had consumed the island. The crew stood on the shore as the water washed over the cold sand. "I'm sorry Leroy," Emma whispered as they put the last stone on his hasty grave, having buried him on the beach so he could be close to the water. The crew all stood around his grave, August dumping water onto it rather than the customary rum since they didn't have any right now. They all bent their heads and stood in silence, except for Regina who was openly weeping.

She hadn't known Leroy for long, but she had known him, and now, the idea of never being able to see his smiling face or hear his crass humor or eat his bad cooking, made her depressed. She had never seen the death of a friend and it hurt her.

But no doubt it didn't hurt her as much as it hurt the others. They had known Leroy for longer. They must truly be in despair.

Emma got up from her kneeling position. "Let us leave this accursed place," she told them and they trudged back to the ship, souls all weary.

* * *

The ship was quiet after Leroy's death. No dancing, no singing, and no drinking. The crew was all mourning him, especially Emma who took this really hard. Because it was her fault he was dead. He had asked him to come on this journey. She was his captain. She was supposed to make sure he was alright. But she had failed. And now he was gone. And it was all her fault.

Regina tried hard to console Emma and cheer her up and Emma was touched by the brunette's efforts, even if Regina didn't know how to make Emma feel better. But Emma also wanted some time alone to wallow in her misery so sometimes she dismissed Regina, telling her it would be best if they all just had some space to themselves.

They'd managed to snag some supplies- very meager ones- before sailing off. And soon they would have to get more supplies. Emma worried, because these islands were filled with danger and she didn't want to lose another of her crew. They'd been reckless in boarding that island and they had paid the price for it.

Ruby approached Emma one evening, as the captain was staring off to the horizon where the sun was setting. Without Leroy cooking for them, Ruby had been left up to the task. Her cooking was better, but they all missed Leroy's shitty dishes. "Here," she offered Emma her rum flask.

Emma shook her head. "I don't want any to numb the pain."

"This isn't to numb the pain. This is to remember Leroy," Ruby countered and Emma hesitated before taking it. She took a large gulp before handing it back to Ruby who also took one, and then poured out the rest into the gray waves below them. "This is for Leroy. May he drink to his hearts content in wherever his soul has gone."

The two of them watched the red rum melt into the gray and then it was gone.

"It's all my fault," Emma said bitterly. "I should have never had the stupid idea to-"

Ruby put a hand on Emma's shoulder, shushing her. "It's alright. It isn't your fault. Leroy didn't have to come on this trip. None of us did. But we chose to because you're our captain. And we respect you."

"What kind of a captain am I if I can't even guarantee your safety?"

"Emma, you've lead us through terrible perils in our youth. We've all survived thanks to you. But our luck inevitably runs out and then we're left with shit. Don't be too hard on yourself. We all know the dangers of pirating. Leroy knew it too, and he'd be pissed at you for moping this much about his death. He'd tell you to get pissed face drunk and go and fuck up some other shit in his name. So, what do you say? Next island we land on we completely obliterate them?" Ruby said with a wolfish grin.

Emma nodded her head slowly, feeling a bit better- resolving herself to feel better. "Yea," she considered. "After all, we're bloody pirates, aren't we?"


	12. Desire

_"Emma, you've lead us through terrible perils in our youth. We've all survived thanks to you. But our luck inevitably runs out and then we're left with shit. Don't be too hard on yourself. We all know the dangers of pirating. Leroy knew it too, and he'd be pissed at you for moping this much about his death. He'd tell you to get pissed face drunk and go and fuck up some other shit in his name. So, what do you say? Next island we land on we completely obliterate them?" Ruby said with a wolfish grin._

_Emma nodded her head slowly, feeling a bit better- resolving herself to feel better. "Yea," she considered. "After all, we're bloody pirates, aren't we?"_

_..._

No one knew exactly how long they'd been in the Bermuda triangle for. They'd lost track of counting the days long by now and couldn't be bothered to try and figure it out anymore. They just kept on going, day after day, after day, hoping that eventually the tides would take them in the right direction out of this miserable place.

They never caught sight of another ship no matter how long they sailed and a sense of loneliness encapsulated them; they would only be too happy to be gone from this place.

The Bermuda triangle held too many bad memories for them ever since Leroy's death and though Emma had been able to pick up her mood, it was clear in the moments when she thought no one was looking, that her lips drooped and she seemed to sag with an inner weariness. But in front of them all, she remained tough, leading them to continue surviving out on the blue seas that held so much danger.

Regina felt bad she couldn't have cheered Emma up properly; she hated seeing the captain hurt. But she was just glad Emma was alright now and smiling somewhat like her old self.

With nothing else to do on the ship, Emma continued with her sword lessons with Regina. The brunette had picked it up easily and was now becoming on par with a swordsman. She was nowhere close to Emma's level, but that took many years of practice and harrowing situations to reach that level.

Learning how to use a gun was next, and Regina had nearly hurled herself back from the recoil. They had all laughed at her blunder and while her cheeks flamed, she didn't mind because Emma had laughed for the first time in a long time and it was a glorious sound.

It made Regina's stomach twist pleasurably. Which was something else she had begun to notice was happening more and more frequently. The more time she spent with the captain, the more she craved being next to her. It was a maddening feeling, one Regina had never felt before and it confused, elated, and disgruntled her.

Regina had some concerns about this she wanted advice on, and she for once couldn't go to Captain Swan. Because those concerns were more or less about her. So she made way over to Ruby who was swabbing the deck, singing a merry tune to herself as she swayed her hips back and forth.

"Ruby, can I speak with you for a second?" Regina inquired hesitantly.

"Of course you can," Ruby said, stilling and putting her elbow on the handle of the mop, blinking her eyes eagerly at Regina.

"Somewhere...more private," she said, tipping her head at where Neal and August were playing cards on top of a barrel not too far away.

"Of course," Ruby agreed. She dropped the mop and followed Regina to the stern of the ship where it was darker and quieter. "So, what seems to be the issue?" Ruby asked kindly as she noticed Regina fidgeting.

"Uh, I think something might be wrong with me," the princess admitted softly.

"As in?" Ruby arched a brow, intrigued to see where this was going.

"I...I...well, just every time the captain touches me I feel wrong. If she pats me on the shoulder or gives me praise for a job well done, I feel so hot...and feverish. Almost delirious at some points. And I thought maybe it has something to do with the odd dance on those islands that we were forced to do."

Ruby bit the inside of her cheek so hard it bleed as she tried her best to stifle her laughter. Oh the poor innocent princess. She had no idea what she was admitting to and it was all the more delicious.

"Is that so?" Ruby asked in as even a voice as she could once she felt the urge to laugh dissipate. "And how long has this been going on for?"

"For a little while now. Ever since the islands," Regina admitted looking so worried. "Can I die from this?"

Ruby let out a sound that a dying bird as she tried so hard not to laugh. Her face twisted up to contain her amusement. Regina began to fret. "So it is dire!"

"No it is not princess," Ruby shook her head and placed her hands on her hips while Regina rubbed hers in worry. "Tell me, how exactly do you feel when you grow hot. Do you feel a twist in your stomach? Do you feel weak in the knees? Do you feel yourself throbbing down between the legs?"

Regina nodded her head to all of those. "I've tried to think of an illness that would cause all that but I cannot think of one."

"Have you heard of the illness called 'love sickness'?"

Regina's eyes bulged out at this. She may be naive, but she knew something on that topic. "You think I'm in love? With the captain and it's making me feel this way?" she shrilled and then lowered her voice, worried someone would overhear. "But I am to marry a man. I must like them."

"You do like them or have you been told to do so?" Ruby arched a brow as Regina frowned at this conundrum.

"I...think I like them?" Her answer was lackluster and only proved Ruby's assumptions. "But I only admire the captain! That is it!"

"Admiration can turn to love, princess."

Regina felt dizzy with this revelation. She had to sit down. Ruby watched as the princess swayed and then sat on an upturned crate, putting her chin in her propped up hands.

"Have you ever felt this way before?" Ruby asked softly, crouching down in front of the princess. Regina thought back...and yes, she had. For her hand maiden. Not as intensely as this of course, but the twisting feelings and the throbbing were all there.

"Oh dear, I think I may sink myself," Regina fretted, beyond mortified. She liked women. Her whole life, she thought she liked men, but not once had she felt the same way about men as she did merely thinking of women and their soft bodies and lustrous hair.

"There is no need for such a dramatic course," Ruby soothed, taking the princess's hands in her own. "We all have our tastes. It is quite all right."

"You can only say that because you don't like women!"

"No, I like both women and men. I find them both alluring and there is nothing wrong with that."

But Regina was beginning to freak out. "But I have to marry a king when I go back. How will I lay with him if I don't desire him? If I love another?" She was beginning to feel very overwhelmed.

"Regina, do not worry about this now. It will do you no good. Take things one step at a time. And everything will be easier and clearer."

Regina nodded her head, lips tight, body tensed. She couldn't look Ruby in the eyes. She felt so out of sorts over this whole situation. She'd rather be ill than faced with this truth. "And if you have any other concerns, do not hesitate to come to me. I will help you through it."

Ruby's offer of help did put Regina at ease a bit but still that night when she went to bed, Emma sleeping soundly in the bed already, Regina could not sleep at all, tracing the captain's handsome features with her eyes. She loved Emma. She had never thought the day would come that she would fall in love. And it hadn't been with a prince like she'd expected and hoped for, but a woman. A pirate.

And maybe it was even better this way?

* * *

Now that Regina was aware of her feelings, they seemed to impress upon her even more strongly. Butterflies flew in her stomach each time Emma spoke to her or even so much as looked at her. And when she smiled at her, Regina could feel her insides melting, turning her into a right mess. Her emotions must be clearly conscripted on her face, because each time she felt this way and if Ruby was around, the taller brunette would elbow her in the ribs.

"Don't stare like a vapid twit," she admonished in a low breath and so Regina would rearrange her face to look more sober.

But the hardest part to deal with this was the fantasizes. Oh, how she dreamed of Emma rescuing her from various situations. Now, Regina had some of her own skill and she did not like to be a damsel in distress but for Emma she wouldn't mind. Images of her being tied to a pole and evil men standing between her and Emma filled her mind. Emma would defeat them all and then cut Regina loose, sweeping her into her arms and carrying her off to the ship. Or the ones where Regina was locked up in a castle and Emma would climb up the vines to reach her, kissing her soundly as she got to the top.

Regina would spend hours staring past the ship railing at the horizon never quite seeing it as she day dreamed. And it did not help to quell the fierce throbbing between her thighs. It grew to be so frustrating that she had to ask Ruby on how to get rid of it.

"Well, the sure fire way of getting rid of it is to have a man take care of it with his tool down there," Ruby said as cleanly as she could. She did not want to scare the princess away. "But a woman can also do the same to another woman, using her fingers and tongue."

"So...so I have to sleep with someone?" Regina squeaked out, not at all ready for such a concept. Ruby shook her hand no. "No, you don't have to do that. There are ways of taking care of it yourself."

Regina leaned in unconsciously as her legs fidgeted. "How?" She could not fathom being able to do such a thing. Her mother had said only Regina's husband could give her pleasure and it was forbidden to seek it without his consent or help. That a woman's desire was to be only at her husband's behest. "Isn't it against social conduct?"

Ruby laughed at this. "Maybe for your world but you'll find it's not such a thing for us poorer folk. We talk pleasure whenever we can get it because often our lives are so short and joyless. And it's quite simple how to do. You just put your hand between your thighs and rub. If need be, put a finger or two in."

Regina felt hot all over talking about such a lewd thing. She shook her head. "I don't think I can do that. It feels wrong."

"Suit yourself princess. But there is not much else you can do to help with being horny. Other than take a cold shower, which I fear is in short supply on board the ship." And Ruby had left it at that, leaving a squirming princess who heaved out an annoyed sigh. Regina had thought passion only came after marriage. Not before it. Now what was she to do?

She was determined to simply see her way through this, by biding her time. Maybe it would go away on it's own. She began to avoid the captain whenever she could, dodge her touches as discreetly as she could. Naturally, Emma noticed quite early on and asked about this.

"Am I...did I do something wrong to bother you?" Emma asked, that familiar furrow upon her brows. One that Regina wanted to reach over and smooth.

Regina felt a lump stand in her throat. There was no way she could tell Emma the truth so she shook her head and said simply, "I'm having a bit of moodiness. I believe it's that time of the month again."

"Oh," Emma said, confusion fading from her face. "Well, do you need anything for the pain?"

"No, I'm fine."

And thus, Regina was stuck having to hide her increasing affections and have to be close next to Emma else she could raise suspicion again. For a little while the princess's ardor waned. There were patches of rough sea and she was too busy running around and helping with the ships rigging for her to be busy with scandalous thoughts. They were short on hands to guide this ship and with it's smaller size on such hungry waves, they had to work harder to make it swim and not sink.

And then one day they docked nearby an island with white sand so pure it almost hurt to look at. The crew weren't going on land but they had anchored the ship nearby. They all wanted to catch some respite and so stayed in the shore line, swimming in the warm waters.

Regina had refused the offer, preferring to stay on the ship. She didn't know how to swim so it was a bit pointless for her. Ruby had offered to teach Regina how to swim but the princess had declined, not wanting to embarrass herself in front of everyone with how badly she floundered in water.

Additionally if Emma was to be naked like everyone else, than Regina didn't think it would be a good idea to go if only to spare her own heart from beating wildly.

The crew splashed happily in the water, laughing and yelling and Regina sat and read her book in the dying light of the sun. She felt tempted to look each time a squeal came up. She sort of wished she could join, but she knew it was smarter for her to be up here.

And then she gave into the temptation at least once. Neal and August had Ruby and Sabine up on their shoulders and they would crash into each other, the two girls fighting to see who could push the other off and into the water. Emma was drifting nearby.

Her back was turned to Regina and she was half out of the sea green water but it was enough. With the sun almost setting, the water around Emma seemed to sparkle, the water droplets racing down her skin reflected. The strong musculature of her back was on full display and Regina could even make out a sliver her breasts from this angle.

Regina's mouth went very dry and the sudden feeling in her stomach was so heavy it was almost sickening. And them Emma turned her head, raking back her wet hair with one hand, other hand raised in greeting at Regina. Regina's eyes got wide at getting caught and she bolted like a frightened foal.

The princess missed the concerned pirate's look. Was everything okay?

Regina rushed to the captain's quarters under the deck, her knees wobbling like she was drunk. When she got there she threw herself onto the bed covers. She was boiling under her skin.

Oh god, this felt worse than any other instances before. She felt like she would go insane if she didn't do something about it. She turned onto her back, shaking hands undoing the top three buttons on her shirt so that she could get some air. It did little to help.

What had Ruby said? That touching oneself would help?

Regina hadn't wanted to do that. Only her husband was to take care of her needs. But if this was what they felt like, than how was she to wait on him? Her legs spread apart of their own accord and slowly, almost fearfully, she let one hand trail a course down her chest to her stomach to at last where it hovered over the apex of her thighs.

She hesitated. Should she...?

But then another image of Emma, naked in the water flooded her mind and she throbbed so hard that she let out a frustrated cry. She pressed her hand down flat over her clothed mound and immediately felt her body light up with gratification. But it only lasted for a second, because she was throbbing hungrily as before. She began to rub back and forth, her breaths hitching. But this wasn't enough either.

She needed more.

She slipped her hand beneath the waistband of her pants now, gasping in shock when she felt how wet she was under her underwear. But with her fingers resting against her nether lips, she could feel shock racing through her, adding her arousal. She had never ventured a hand down there before. It was...it was so lewd.

She wondered, had Emma ever done this to another woman? She could imagine Emma naked, muscles flexing and breasts bouncing with each step as she came closer and closer to Regina. Regina hadn't seen the bottom half of Emma so her mind blanked a little on that part, but it definitely had enough detail about the rest of Emma to make Regina's neck strain as she imagined it was Emma's hand between her legs.

"May I, princess?" she would ask so nobly and Regina would let her place her hand there, with those long calloused fingers.

Regina groaned, lost in her fantasies and the new emotions leaking out of her.

This position worked better. More contact allowed her to feel better. She rubbed her hand up and down, fingers gliding through her wet folds easily. Shamefully easily.

Regina felt so wrong for doing this. Doing this to thoughts of her captain. But she couldn't help it. Her feet kicked at the covers, wrinkling them. Her breath exploded through her nose as she kept her mouth tightly shut, fearing the sounds coming from it. Muffled moans came out as whimpers and she screwed her eyes tightly shut as something coiled inside her, threatening to pour free.

She rubbed harder and harder, her hips bucking up uncontrollably as she barely recognized herself in this moment. Her free hand grabbed the pillow behind her, holding onto it as if it was the only thing preventing her from leaving this world. The coil tightened and tightened.

Her racing fingers bumped a hard nub. The coil got painfully hot and tight.

And then it snapped.

Her breath was knocked out from her lungs, her eyes snapped wide open, and she rolled onto her right side, gasping in shock as sticky hot wetness covered her hand. She could feel everything down there lock up as her hips bucked a few times futilely.

She sucked in greedy mouthfuls of air, drawing her hand out of her pants. She couldn't look at it. How ashamed she was of doing this.

But how nice it had all felt. She could feel a drowsiness fill her, weighting down her bones.

* * *

Emma kept looking back at the spot where Regina had been sitting by the railing. Noticeably it was still empty. Was everything okay? Worried for the princess, she threaded water and got out, climbing up the ship's side. She grabbed a towel and quickly dried herself off, before slipping into her tight pants and a loose white shirt for now. Her wet hair was wrapped up in a high bun to keep it from dripping down her shirt front.

The steps creaked as she hurried down. She heard some sounds that set her into high motion. Was the princess hurt? There was a moan, followed by a loud gasp as if she had gotten punched.

"Princess, are you alright?" Emma said as she came into the bed chambers. Regina immediately bolted up right. Her cheeks were red, hair mussed up and fear was in her eyes. Had she gotten caught? She wondered fearfully and blurted out a lie. "I was having a...an...a nightmare," she said at last.

"Oh," Emma said, a small frown coming to life between her brows. "Are you alright now? There was a lot of moaning. I had feared terrible things."

Regina bowed her head, mortified. Dear god. The captain had heard her debauched behavior! "I'm...I'm fine," she said in a low voice, wanting to throw herself overboard.

"That's good..." Emma trailed off sensing like the princess wasn't being truthful to her but not understanding why. When she had heard the princess's moans she immediately thought the woman to be in danger and she was about to rush in when they stopped. Her hand had also stilled on her hilt and so had her legs. Had Emma imagined those sounds then? And she had taken some time to come in and she could see that Regina was now fine, albeit a bit out of sorts.

"I'll be upstairs then, if you need me," Emma said, shuffling her feet and leaving.

Regina let out a long sigh and dropped back heavily. She could not believe she had just touched herself to imagined ideas of what the captain would do to her. But she had, and while she felt guilty and disgusting for doing so, she couldn't deny it had felt amazing and she felt so much better right now. Better than she had felt in days.

And dare she say...she wouldn't mind doing it again.


	13. Robinson Crusoe'd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The must have trope of any pirate story: a deserted island!

_"I'll be upstairs then, if you need me," Emma said, shuffling her feet and leaving._

_Regina let out a long sigh and dropped back heavily. She could not believe she had just touched herself to imagined ideas of what the captain would do to her. But she had, and while she felt guilty and disgusting for doing so, she couldn't deny it had felt amazing and she felt so much better right now. Better than she had felt in days._

_And dare she say...she wouldn't mind doing it again._

_..._

"Holy fuck," Neal's voice cut through the air as his eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped. From his perch on the crow's nest he saw it. At first he had thought he had imagined it, then wished he had, and by the third time he sighted the massive tentacle slicing through the water he was sliding down the mast, going to inform his Captain.

"Swan, I think there's going to be a slight issue," he reported, shaking in his boots. Sure, it wasn't the first time he had heard tales of massive sea creatures that could eat boats in one swallow. But it was another thing to see it and be heading towards it.

"Why, what's wrong?" Emma asked, brow furrowed over as she looked down at a map, crystal in her hand hanging over it on a rope as she tried to divine a way out of this triangle. If Ruby's skills failed and the stars offered no hope hidden behind clouds every night, than she had to try other increasingly desperate methods.

"There's...there's a giant squid coming over way. We need to change course and now."

Emma's head jerked up and she looked at his face to see he was serious. She rose, grabbed her spy glass, and looked through it to see that indeed slimy tentacles were beginning to poke out of the water, hungry like. "All hands on deck!"she ordered out, snapping everyone awake from their midday nap. "Get this ship turned around. Now!" They rushed to, even Emma helping out. But there was too few of them to do this quickly. Their stolen ship was too big for them to man just the small group of them. But, they had to or else it would be insanity to continue going ahead.

Sails went up, rigging was pulled down, tightened.

The ship groaned as Emma hopped behind the wheel turning it sharply to the left. She grit her teeth and leaned all her weight into the turn, like it could do something. It was only terrible because they had been so close to an island and now this beast stood in their way. Five tentacles were out of the water now, waving high in the air, as if greeting them.

"Mother of Neptune," Ruby gasped out as she saw the beast. She hurriedly tightened the rigging. Regina came out from below deck, face paling when she saw what they were heading towards. "Emma!" she shrilled out at the woman, needing her word that they would be safe.

"Don't worry, I'm turning this ship around!" Emma huffed, hands bleeding on the wheel now. If only they had Leroy. An extra pair of hands would have helped. One of the tentacles snaked out, landing in the water next to them with a loud thud. Water splashed up and drenched the deck.

"Shit, get the harpoon gun, Sabine!" Neal ordered as the ship careened to the left, almost fully turned around. But the beast was moving towards them, slowly but surely. Almost like it was in no rush to catch up to them. Toying with them.

Sabine rushed to get the harpoon, hefting the heavy machinery so she could set it on the deck railing. August was behind her, bringing up an extra supply of harpoons. "Load her up. Keep her steady," he insisted, looking calm in the face of this. Emma had righted the ship and with it Regina was able to stand upright on her feet. "How can I help?" she asked Ruby who was next to her.

"Bring me torches and kersone. This ship may not have cannons so we'll have to make do with what we've got."

Regina nodded her head and at once went to fetch the items requested. When she came back up, arms full, she saw that the harpoon gun was finally ready.

Sabine was at it, aiming at the beast's tentacles which had followed them steadily along. With a snarl on her lips and a loud howl she fired, impaling it through one appendage. The creature, if hurt, gave no indication of this. "Quick, load her up!" Sabine ordered the two men standing by her.

Ruby turned to Regina, grabbing some of the torches. "We'll try to attach these to the harpoons. Maybe we can set the thing on fire. That'll teach it to come after us."

Emma continued steering wildly, trying to get as much distance between them and the beast. She was also trying to circle back around, try to make it to land with the monster chasing them.

Sabine shot another harpoon, sinking it right into a lower part of the fleshy appendages. Neal and August cheered at the sight of it.

"Here, try this," Ruby suggested, bring to them the lit torch. "Set that thing on fire," she gave a wild grin. Sabine took it and quickly attached it while the gun was loaded up. Third time proved to be the charm. The monster let out an unearthly shriek of pain at the flames and retreated down into the water.

The crew all cheered loudly at this, jumping up and clapping hands. Regina let a relieved smile part her lips. She had been worried there for a second. With one of the crew being lost to one of the islands, Regina had come to realize the mortality of this all and she had been worried there might not be a chance for them on this.

But it had all worked out. Emma came down from the wheel, wiping her bloodied hands on her shirt and grinning wildly. "Seems we were too much of a match for it." Emma had been severely worried there, because she could not afford to put her crew in danger again. Leroy's loss had been enough. She couldn't bare to have another.

"What was that thing?" Regina asked her when adrenaline started to calm down.

"Some monster of the deep. I thought it merely a thing of legends but it seems in the Triangle, anything is true," Emma stated grimly. She headed back up to the wheel, knowing that Regina would need some comfort now- the poor thing look terrified. But Emma had to make sure they made it to the island. That was a priority right now.

As she steered the ship along, looking at deceptively calm waters, she felt the ship shudder a bit. That was odd. Had she hit an underwater rock?

Suddenly, a huge ripple went through the water and a second later an arm of the monster jerked up, picking up the ship with it's motions. The ship went flying, everyone getting rocked off their feet. Emma slammed into the railing hard enough to black out and when she awoke it was on a hot sandy beach, her shoes missing, clothes half dried and pieces of ship surrounding her.

"Oh fuck," she groaned out, wincing as she sat up. Her head throbbed and she touched her sore spot where she had a big bump. She repeated the curse more firmly when she realized what had happened. They had made it to the island, but not how she had wanted them to. The ship had gone sailing meters into the air, the crew getting tossed like rag dolls as they landed into the water. The broken belly of the ship was off shore by a few meters.

Would the rest of the crew be there? Would Regina be okay? She sucked in a sharp breath when she felt a pain in her chest. She couldn't bear if she lost Regina. The princess was young. And innocent; she didn't deserve such a fate. Emma and her crew were a different matter; they pillaged and plundered and took lives. But Regina...she wasn't intentionally evil and if she had been lost to the sea...

Emma shook her head to shoo away unwelcome thoughts. No, she mustn't think that way. She must look for them. Leroy's loss was still fresh in her heart and she couldn't bear it if she lost anyone else. A hat washed up next to her. It was August's. She'd recognize it anywhere. She picked it up and crushed it to her.

Emma had no idea where any of them could be. But she had to look. She rose to her feet, tired and beat. She coughed up some salt water and went on her way, squinting in the glaring sun.

* * *

After what felt like hours of wandering the coast, Emma had found Regina, sitting on a rock and staring forlornly at the water. When she saw Emma approaching she rushed into her, nearly knocking her over. "I was worried I would be alone. That everyone..had perished!" She clung to Emma with desperation. Emma wrapped her arms around the princess.

"It is alright. We are fine. And we shall find the others. I promise," though Emma wasn't sure if it would be an empty promise. Regina pulled away, trying to put on a brave face for her and Emma's sake. This situation was plain awful! There was no telling if the others were okay, were they were, and how Emma and Regina would deal with getting off this island. Though, now that Regina had found Emma she felt more assured. Regina on her own knew no way of foraging for food or hunting animals. She would not have lasted more than a week out here. Emma knew about these sorts of things, she would keep them safe for sure.

Emma felt her emotions overwhelm her despite her best efforts in holding them back in front of Regina. She felt immeasurable relief at finding Regina but she also felt horrendous worry and fear over the rest of the crew.

It was just her and Regina on this tiny island. Where was the rest of Emma's crew? She hoped they weren't dead. She could never forgive herself if they were. If she had dragged them on this mission only for them to meet their end in the Bermuda Triangle.

She slumped down onto the sand on her knees, tears welling up in her eyes as she clutched August's hat. Regina crouched down next to her, resting a hand on Emma's shoulder to support her. "It's going to be okay. We have to have hope." But even Regina's voice was flat.

Emma shook her head, willing the tears back. She had to keep moving forward, otherwise, "We can't think about them right now. No use in worrying our heads when we need to find food and shelter before night falls. Otherwise we might not survive either." She took a deep shuddering breath and rose to her feet, trying to be brave in this situation.

With Emma leading the way they did just that. Though Emma tried to come off as confident in the matter, it wasn't easy being confident.

This wasn't the first time Emma had been stuck on an deserted island. It was guaranteed to happen given she was a pirate. The first time it had happened, it had been because she'd slept with a pirate's daughter.

The second time when she tried looking for treasure and the map had been wrong.

And now her third time was with Regina.

Emma doubted the princess knew very much about the wilds and so it would be up to Emma to help them both. And though Emma knew things about survival it had been a while and her memory was a bit wonky.

That was why, her dumb ass, ate the wrong berry by mistake when she and Regina were off picking some. "Shit," she only managed to curse out when she had already swallowed it down. On second look, this berry was very closely resembling the edible kind.

"What, what's wrong?" Regina asked.

Emma didn't want to alarm the princess. Emma had only eaten one berry, which meant it wouldn't be a fun time, but she'd be fine. "Uh, nothing. Just, I think these are the wrong types of berries. Let's not collect anymore of them." She dropped them to the floor, wiping the red juices on her shirt. "Let's try to find some fresh water and meat instead."

"Okay," Regina mimicked Emma's actions and followed her deeper into the green foliage of the island. The effects of the berry arrived much faster than Emma expected. Within ten minutes of eating it, she was shivering and yet sweating out her clothes.

"Fuck," she muttered under her breath. She closed her eyes as dizziness overtook her.

Regina noticed this, because Emma had to lean against a tree to stand. "Emma, what's going on?" Regina asked, worry plain on her face.

"Nothing. The sun must be getting to me," Emma waved it off. With a grunt of effort she rose off the tree, snagging a flat giant leaf from a nearby low hanging branch. She approached the rock they found from which water dripped down the side of it. "This is how to collect water to drink," she murmured, cupping the leaf under the water and indicating for Regina to do the same.

The princess did, her eyes never leaving Emma's. Emma's leaf filled and she hastily gulped down the water. She was so thirsty all of a sudden. And her head throbbed. She needed to sit. She made to sit down but suddenly the world was spinning around her and she was falling backwards, blacking out.

Regina's terrified utterance of her name was the last thing she heard.

* * *

Emma came too, finding herself lying on a bed made of dried huge leaves, Regina propped up by a tree trunk next to her. The poor girl had dozed off, hand on the hilt of her sword. A small fire burned next to them. Emma sat up, finding that she felt much better and that her clothes were off drying on a log. She quietly got up and put them on, glad to see that her underwear was still intact.

She wondered...had Regina seen anything down there? Hopefully not.

That would be an awkward conversation.

Eventually Regina startled, coming awake with a loud unprincesslike snort as she sprung to her feet. "Oh, it's just you," she said in relief, putting away her sword. "I thought it was some animal. How do you feel?"

"Better. What happened?"

Regina didn't meet Emma's eyes. That was most troubling, the pirate thought but did not comment. "You fainted on me. I didn't know what was wrong. You kept moaning about berries and being thirsty so I made a bed for you and kept bringing you water to help quench your thirst. I almost thought..." here Regina trailed off, unsure what else to say. She was worried she'd be all alone here. She'd die of loneliness first before anything else got her.

"It'll take a lot more than that to get to me, princess," Emma said with a hint of her cocky grin on her face because she did not want the princess to worry over her anymore. "Thank you, for taking care of me."

"You are welcome."

"I'm going to make this fire bigger. I don't know about you, but I am starved. Sadly, I don't think I'm in the mood to try anything the island has to offer right now."

Emma set about finding more dry kindling. She tossed it into the fire, making it grow steadily higher. "I am impressed. I didn't know you could make a fire."

"I had to figure it out. I read about it in fantasy books and I followed what it said there. I needed to get you warmer."

"You may just be more resourceful than me," Emma said with a grin.

They sat by the fire, watching the flames flicker. Regina was still acting a bit off. Emma had to find out why. She didn't like her princess being distraught.

The younger girl's cheeks were flushed and she oddly avoided Emma's eyes. Emma didn't know what was wrong. So she probed. "You know, it's quite all right," she said, making Regina jerk guiltily away from the fire like she had done something wrong.

Emma noted the behavior with a frown. Why was the princess so jumpy? "We're both women. You know what breasts look like." She figured this would be the cause of Regina's sudden discomfit. But it was not. Sudden clarity kicked into Emma's mind. Of course. If Regina had disrobed her, than that might mean she saw what else lay in her trousers. This time it was Emma's turn to flush.

"I'm so mortified," she said, giving a self deprecating laugh. "You saw didn't you."

"I didn't mean to!" burst out from Regina's lips in a rush. She turned from the fire she had been tending. "I only meant to clean you up. I didn't mean to..." here she flushed and bit her lip again.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want you to see it. It must have been quite jarring for you," Emma continued, fiddling with her buckle, not sure what else to do in this awkward moment.

"I am aware what they are for," Regina said in a shaking voice, mustering up her courage to get through this discussion. "A man sticks a rod inside a woman and they produce a baby. Mother made it clear it was my job to do this with my husband so the family could grow."

"There is more to that, then just sticking it in. But I won't delve into it," Emma commented, relieved to know she hadn't horrified the princess too much.

"I just..." here the princess hesitated heavily, debating between her curiosity and her modesty. "I never knew a woman could have one."

Here was the question. It was only natural that it came up to this point. "Aye, tis how it be. God works in mysterious ways. I was a woman and yet he added a bit too much."

"Does it..." Regina hesitated once more. She couldn't imagine having such a thing between her legs. As a woman it felt liberating to feel nothing there. "Does it hurt?" She truly had no idea how those things operated, only that when she would be wed and her husband would take her to bed, it would hurt when they first did share intimacies. But did it hurt if a woman had it placed on her own body instead of a man's?

Emma laughed at this. What an innocent question. Emma almost felt bad for furthering the topic. "No, it does not. There is still much you must learn about the body and what pleasures it can have and receive. But I will not push you towards learning it. You shall come to an understanding in time."

Regina nodded her head, still looking into the roaring flames of the fire before her. She was still curious. So curious. But she did not want to press Emma on this. All she knew was she did not feel disgust at the idea of Emma having one. In fact, it almost seemed fitting. She was feminine and yet masculine.

Regina wondered if men's looked the same. Or maybe it was just Emma's that was that big. Regina felt even more feverish and flustered as perverted thoughts filled her mind. It had nothing to do with the flames roaring before her, but it would do nicely as a cover up in case Emma noticed her state.

Regina wondered how such a massive thing was supposed to go inside her. Could she even fit it all the way? She wasn't sure. And would it eventually feel good when it went in? Did she do all the work? Would the man do all the work? So many questions but she felt it improper to ask or to even linger more on this.

She shook her head, embarrassed and frustrated with herself for thinking so indecently on a fellow person. She buried her head in the crook of her arms as she sat on her bottom, knees up, and tried to do her darnedest to ignore Emma and thoughts of her for as long as she could.


	14. Witchy Business

_She shook her head, embarrassed and frustrated with herself for thinking so indecently on a fellow person. She buried her head in the crook of her arms as she sat on her bottom, knees up, and tried to do her darnedest to ignore Emma and thoughts of her for as long as she could._

_..._

It was day five and they were growing accustomed to being stuck on a stranded island. At least, Regina was learning new skills, such as how to whittle wood and hunt for fish with a spear. There was still no sight of the rest of the crew but they didn't give up hope. They would find them, she was sure.

The only thing Regina was worried about was Emma. She couldn't stop thinking about her. Couldn't stop looking at her. She found herself wanting to kiss her badly and such lewd thoughts made her feel aroused. But there was no time or place on the island to handle that lady problem, so Regina stewed in her very unhappy body.

It was only a matter of time before she exploded from desire. Though, if Regina wasn't mistaken, Emma was looking at her in a different manner too. Could it be...she felt something for the princess as well?

Thoughts like this plagued Regina and gave her no rest.

"Your mind is somewhere else," Emma scolded as she knocked Regina down onto her bottom. They were practicing their sword skills for there was lack of anything else to do here for now.

Regina grunted and took the hand Emma offered to pull her up. She got pulled up so close to Emma she could see the gold specks in her eyes. She flushed and stepped back immediately. She could not tell the true reason for her distracted thoughts and so she used something else. "I worry for everyone. It's been a while since we've last seen them..."

Emma's mouth wavered, dropping downwards before she straightened it into a flat line. "They are fine. They  _have_  to be fine. If we survived, then so can they."

They did not mention Leroy who had not been so lucky the last time they landed on an island. To do so would be to dampen the mood even further. So instead, Regina readies her sword and they continue to fight. Emma parries and ducks Regina's blows as they twirl on the beach, kicking up sand as they battle. Regina has stripped a bit from her constraining outfit, as the heat on this island persists long even into the night. Her skin has darkened and she looks more like one of Emma's crew than the princess she was. Her long hair was done up in a bun on the top of her head while Emma's was pulled back in a messy ponytail. She too was down to her under garments and her muscles flexed and shone with a sweaty gleam.

This time, it was Emma who was distracted. It seemed Regina's earlier words had inspired in her a sadness. This way, Regina was able to press forwards and gain the upper hand on the captain. Emma noticed what was happening only until it was too late. Her sword went flying through the air with a clang and she backed up, tripping over a root that she had not seen behind her. She fell with a giant cry of surprise and Regina jumped down, straddling her waist and pointing her blade at Emma's neck, one hand flat on the heaving chest of the woman as she tried to regain her air.

"Well done," she praised the princess, their eyes locking together. Both of them were out of breath and Regina lowered her sword, putting it aside. She could feel something inside her, goading her forwards. The heat was affecting her, turning her control into mush, as did the feel of Emma's body under her. Her hand was still on Emma's chest, right on her breast where her heart was beating frantically and she slowly slide it up, watching in mild surprise as her body went on auto command. Emma was looking up at her, green eyes sparkling so bright and inviting.

It would be improper for a princess to initiate the kiss, but Regina was no longer within her castle walls, no longer controlled by her mother. Out here, she was free. Free to be whoever she wanted. And she always wanted to be a hero. Always wanted to make her own choices.

"It seems you have bested me, princess," Emma huffed, moving her arms to encircle Regina and roll her off softly. But she didn't get a chance to do that. There was something in Regina's stare that hadn't been there before. Determination, and something hungrier, making her brown eyes dark.

"Don't call me princess anymore," she stated firmly, catching Emma off guard.

"Why not?"

"I just want to be Regina," Regina stated softly now and then leaned in and kissed Emma.

The kiss was gentle. Regina's lips were soft and pliant against Emma's more chapped ones. Emma didn't move at first, not expecting this in the least. But then her body responded, all her desires coming forth. The arms around Regina tightened, pulling her in more, hugging her soft frame against Emma's more lean and harder one. Regina's hands, trapped under between their chests, dug into the fabric of Emma's shirt for balance. Because even though they were flat on the ground, Regina felt her head was spinning.

She pulled away first, needed air. She had never kissed anyone before and it was as magical as it had been written in her stories. Her insides were singing and she was filled with exuberance.

"Wow," she breathed out, wonder in her eyes. Emma couldn't help but smile up dopey at Regina. The princess really was such a joy. So pure.

"Would you like another one?" Emma asked, voice rumbling low in her chest. The sound made the hairs on the back of Regina's neck stand up in a good way.

"Yes, please," Regina nodded her head quickly and Emma leaned in and captured her lips in another kiss.

And under the halcyon glow of the moon, they lay on pure white sand as the waves lapped by them, kissing the night away.

* * *

Regina woke up to find herself having fallen asleep in Emma's warm embrace. The blonde's hair was strewn about and her mouth was slightly gaping open as she slumbered. Regina couldn't help but smile down at her. At the warm kisses they had shared. The passion that sizzled between them.

It had all been so amazing. Getting up, careful so as not to wake Emma, Regina went to the side and stretched out her body. It was taunt from the sword fighting and a bit sore but nothing that wouldn't go away on it's own. The sun was rising and soon would be shining down brightly on them. They would have yet another day ahead of them. Another day of wondering if the crew was okay, another day of trying to survive, another day of trying to get off this island.

Regina stood with her hands on her hips, looking at the horizon which was turning golden and it wasn't long before Emma was up, taking a spot next to her.

"Princess, I mean, Regina," Emma hastily corrected. "We need to speak on what happened last night."

Regina swallowed nervously. The uncertain face Emma was making, the way she shifted on her feet, did not bond well for this conversation. "I um...I greatly enjoyed what we did, but I do not think it would be wise to continue." Emma had loved being able to kiss Regina. She had felt immensely enamored with the princess ever since she first saw her. But, Emma was a pirate. A pirate who had kidnapped Regina and taken her hostage on this hostile journey and it wasn't right for the princess to kiss her like she loved her.

Emma had to get the princess off this island and deliver her to her mother, queen Cora. And then Emma would have to think of another way to get revenge on the queen. Because she no longer felt this was a good plan. Regina didn't deserve to be punished for her mother's schemes. She was innocent.

This was a split second decision but one that should have been made long ago. Yet Emma had been hurting after Lily's death and her mind hadn't been in the right place. Now it was. Now she could see her plan had not been the greatest.

"Why not?" Regina was proud that her voice did not waver. But she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She had had her first kiss with her first love, and now she was being rejected?

"Uh...I'm...I think you can do so much better than me," Emma settled on, because she could not tell the princess she was a pirate. It would break the princess's heart.

"But I don't want anyone else but you," Regina stomped her foot into the sand. "I don't know why you're saying this but stop it. Why can't we- we don't...you don't even have to court me if it bothers you so much. I'd just like to be able to kiss you," the princess confessed.

"Regina..." Emma murmured, low and in sadness. She didn't want to break the princess's heart. But she also wanted to be with her. In the end, her own selfishness won out. "If you insist, than you shall have me, Regina," Emma said, kneeling down in front of the princess and kissing the back of her knuckles.

The smile Regina gave her, made Emma's insides melt at the same time they froze over in dread. Once Regina found out the truth than she would be devastated. Emma had to find a way to keep Regina from ever knowing.

* * *

"I'd never imagined I would have this," Regina says as the two of them are sitting on the beach, watching the sunset, two fish cooking on the fire behind them.

"Have what?" Emma asks, the two of them maintaining a safe distance between each other. This way it would keep Emma from being too tempted to kiss Regina, a temptation that had only gotten worse ever since they had actually kissed and Emma now knew how amazing the princess's lips felt on her own.

"Have an adventure. Have friends. Have new skills to learn. I thought I would spend the rest of my life stuck behind mortar walls, sitting still and smiling falsely," Regina confessed. Now that she had tasted freedom...now that she had seen the world..."I don't know if I ever want to go back."

Emma arched a brow, not sure if she should be worried about this answer, especially since she planned on returning the princess to those same walls. "Do you not want to be princess any longer?" Emma asked cautiously, grabbing a handful of sand and letting it slip through her fingers. This conversation was potentially going into dangerous land.

Regina didn't answer for a long time, only the crackle of the fire behind her and the crashing of the waves in front of them, heard. "I...am not sure," she said at last. "Because if I go back, I know what awaits me. A marriage to some old man and a house full of kids. I won't ever see the light of the outside world. I won't ever feel the salty breeze, or the waves under my feet." The ocean was scary but it was also a medium, a way to see new marvels both good and bad. "What about you?"

"Me?" Emma isn't expecting to have this conversation turned to her.

Regina nods her head. "Yes, you. What did you dream of when you were younger?"

Emma chuckles, delaying her response with a joke. "I didn't know I was old already."

Regina's cheeks gain a bit of color at her blunder. "That is- I did not mean to call you old! You're not. You're young and in shape and very, very attractive."

Emma chuckles again. "My, you compliment me so. And here I thought I was the one who schmoozed women with my tongue."

Regina flushes again, this time thinking about Emma's tongue. It certainly is very skilled, especially when it tangles with Regina's own. Before Regina can act on her desire to perhaps goad Emma into kissing her, Emma continues, looking forlornly at the horizon that has now darkened considerably.

"I...I didn't really have dreams when I was younger. I found there to be no reason for me to have hope when my life was so bleak and cruel. I was an orphan, abandoned on the streets. I somehow miraculously survived to be old enough to get a job and I chose one on the docks and from there, I paved my path to where I am now, making friends and enemies as I went."

"That sounds...horrid," Regina commented on at last, not sure what else to say.

"But it's how life is for almost all of us. Except for nobility and royalty," Emma put in, trying to not sound bitter. "You should be happy you were sheltered. That you always had food to eat, clothes on your back and a warm place to call home. I never really had that."

"Well, I would give it all away if I could," Regina resolutely stated, making Emma blink her eyes in shock and whip her head around to look at Regina.

"I had all those things, and yet I wasn't happy. What is the point of a life that isn't happy? I would give my food to those in need, I would give away my clothes. I don't mind living life like a commoner. At least I can chose to do what I want when I want."

Emma shook her head. "Regina, you don't understand the gravity of how hard the life of a commoner is. You may have tasted the real world but you don't know how truly terrible it can be. You are too naive. It would eat you alive if I were not here to protect you."

"I've seen the horrible things. I've seen murder, pillaging, fighting, betrayal and kidnapping. Seen the monsters and the men who ruin this planet. I've lived through most of them too," she stated boldly. "And I made it. I made it through. So what's to say I could not survive the rest of my life out here."

Emma didn't know what to say, truly taken aback by this candor. "You would truly give up your life of comfort, for one of suffering."

"But is it truly suffering, if I feel alive for the first time?" Regina poised and looked deeply into Emma's blue eyes. They gazed at each other and Emma could see the way Regina's eyes looked alive. The way she gazed at Emma with such adoration. Emma felt an overwhelming surge to protect Regina, to protect this wonderful woman who only saw the good, even in the bad. It resolved Emma even more to bring Regina back to her home and let the princess decide then what she would do with her life. Because Emma could no longer keep up this false charade she had invented.

"And...I met you," Regina continued, now in a whisper. "I never thought I would fall in love, especially not with a woman. But...I have. And why go back when I know to do so will result in me not having you?"

Emma felt her heart crumble a bit. No, no! Regina shouldn't be in love with her! Emma was a pirate. A bad person who put Regina in this horrid situation! And yet, Emma wanted nothing more than to keep Regina all to herself. Whisk her away to a home just for the two of them, and have them spend the rest of their lives there.

"I...care deeply for you too," Emma confessed. "And I want you too, Regina." Emma was going to add on,  _but you need to be safely handed back to your mother._  However, before she could, Regina was leaning in and kissing her again. Emma's words were lost in Regina's mouth as they got lost in the sensation.

The fish burned up while they kissed, but they did not care.

* * *

"We can't stay here forever," Emma announced once a full two weeks on this island had passed. They hadn't ventured far from the shore in case one of the crew came by. But nobody had, meaning they needed to move on. There were hundreds of islands in the Bermuda triangle. Maybe the crew would be there?

"Where are we going to go?" Regina asked, packing up her sword.

"Inwards on this island," Emma pointed at the dense foliage. "Maybe we can find someone there. Or something that can help us get off this island. But we must be careful; all the places we've been to in the Bermuda Triangle have proven to not be safe for us."

Regina nodded her head in understanding, remembering all too well Emma's run in with the berries. They packed what meager supplies they had and ventured in, ready to explore deeper than they've ever been before.

"What about building a boat?" Regina asked. "That way we can get off this island?"

"That will take time and the proper supplies. Which we are in short supply of I fear," Emma answered. "Let us hope there are kind people here who can help us. If not...we wait until a ship comes by."

"And when would that be?" Regina asked but it was futile. They both knew that it could happen never. A bleak and dark possibility. Only the unfortunate wondered into the Bermuda triangle.

They carried on, making sparse conversation as they chopped down any hanging vines or bushes that got in their way. It was hard to tell how many hours they spent for the tall trees blocked out most of the light. Eventually, they had to build a camp for the night.

They found a safe spot up in the branches of the tree and then slept there for the night.

In the morning they crawled down and had a quick breakfast before moving onward. This pattern lasted for three days until they got to a huge cave. They wondered, did anyone live in these caves? Maybe some people? It was also possible that dangerous animals could be there. But the two of them were steadily running out of options on what to do.

They fashioned themselves torches, and swords out, slowly went into the caves, Emma leading the way so that if anything the princess could have time to run out.

The inside of the cave was flat, and sandy underfoot. With the dim light of the torch they could make out piles of armor or gold lying around.

"What is all this?" Regina asked in a soft whisper as the light reflected off of the metal. There was more junk to be found too but the torches light was too dim to see farther.

"I don't know," Emma whispered back as they went deeper into the cavernous cave. It began to slope downwards and Emma saw a faint light at the end of the tunnel. Did that belong to someone? They kept going onward, walking into a huge cavern that was outfitted for a human. Plush red carpet covered the floor, tapestry's draped the walls, there were tables, and chairs and book cases and lit torches everywhere. It looked very comfy. But to whom did this belong to?

"Hello?" Emma called out. "We come in peace!"

Suddenly the place rumbled and both Emma and Regina stumbled as small pieces of rocks showered over them in a dust.

"Who dares to disturb my slumber!" roared out a fearsome voice. A huge shadow crawled over the walls. It looked like a woman, than a bat, and then into some indescribable monster.

"Shit," Emma cursed, wondering what trouble they had gotten into this time.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: First three chapters are going to be a bit world building, just cause I need to get that out of the way. Additionally, updates will be every other Wednesday for this story.


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